by Jo Ellen Nott
Whether it’s doorbell cameras or smartphones, even smart speakers and connected appliances, the devices we live with every day are constantly collecting data without any active input and can provide vital intel in modern investigations. Passive data collection is the term used to refer …
by Jo Ellen Nott
Safe Restraints, Inc., the manufacturer of “The Wrap,” a full-body restraint system used nationwide by police and correctional facilities to immobilize combative individuals, continues to fiercely defend the device’s efficacy while medical experts warn that The Wrap’s manual instructs police to apply the device …
by Jo Ellen Nott
The Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures is facing a systemic “end-run” by federal law enforcement.
In a March 18, 2026, testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the Bureau has officially resumed the bulk purchase …
by Jo Ellen Nott
In a study led by Andrew Stokes of Boston University, researchers developed algorithms trained on hospital-verified data to audit out-of-hospital deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results, published in Science Advances, point to “critical gaps in the U.S. death investigation system.”
The study’s …
by Jo Ellen Nott
A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology quantified a systemic threat to public safety, viz., the “wandering police officer.” By analyzing 6,075 officers across 150 agencies for up to five years, researchers whose work was published by the American Psychological Association found …
by Jo Ellen Nott
With the signing of HB26-1020 on March 26, 2026, Colorado became the first state to enact a targeted law limiting the harms caused by colorimetric field drug tests. The reform is narrow but important. Although it does not ban police from using these kits, …
by Jo Ellen Nott
Traffic enforcement has moved far beyond speed traps and roadside officer observations into a realm of constant, algorithmic monitoring. As companies like Hayden AI and Acusensus market and deploy smart camera systems, the legal landscape is shifting from traditional policing toward automated roadway surveillance …
by Jo Ellen Nott
A Flinders University study published in the Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences provides defense attorneys with powerful tools to challenge forensic evidence in cases involving attempted crime scene “clean-ups.” The study reveals how variable and unreliable forensic interpretations of cleaned evidence can be, findings …
by Jo Ellen Nott
For decades, forensic pathologists have relied on body temperature, rigor mortis, and potassium levels in the vitreous humor of the eye to estimate time of death. These methods have underpinned countless prosecutions, but their accuracy degrades sharply beyond the early post-mortem window. Rectal temperature …
by Jo Ellen Nott
In a move to strengthen the accountability and scientific rigor of forensic evidence, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) released Reference Material (“RM”) 8043 on February 18, 2026. This new kit of DNA samples is designed to force transparency in the forensic …
