by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of Oregon unanimously upheld a lower court’s suppression of the State’s wiretap evidence, concluding that the wiretaps violated federal law. It also affirmed the trial court’s suppression of search warrant evidence because the warrants lacked specificity and were overbroad.
During the evening of September ...
by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of Rhode Island upheld a lower court’s suppression of un-Mirandized statements made to police, finding that the defendant was in custody at the scene of an automobile collision.
On October 23, 2018, Joseph Corcoran’s vehicle struck a light pole on a Rhode Island ...
by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of Illinois held that the Court’s pro se posttrial ineffective assistance of counsel (“IAC”) procedure applies to juvenile delinquency proceedings and extends to IAC claims against both retained and appointed counsel. The court reversed, holding that the trial court erred in failing to conduct ...
by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of Oregon unanimously held that upon finding that a life without parole (“LWOP”) sentence is not appropriate under Oregon’s repeat sex offense law, sentence must be imposed under the state sentencing guidelines.
Oregon lawmakers enacted ORS 137.719 in 2001. Section 1 requires a presumptive ...
by Mark Wilson
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated a Texas defendant’s drug conviction, concluding that the Government flouted his right to confront witnesses against him, in violation of Confrontation Clause. See Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004).
Kenneth Hamann and William Davis were ...
by Mark Wilson
The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas clarified the correct ineffective assistance of counsel (“IAC”) standard in cases of erroneous probation eligibility advice. It is not necessary to show a different outcome, only that the erroneous advice impacted the defendant’s decision-making, the Court instructed.
Timothy Aaron Swinney ...
by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of Iowa held that the warrantless entry of an apartment to arrest the occupant on a misdemeanor charge was unlawful, requiring suppression of evidence of cocaine possession obtained from the unlawful entry.
Ames, Iowa, police officer Jamie Miller was dispatched to a fourplex apartment ...
by Mark Wilson
The Supreme Court of California held that sentencing courts have the authority to strike a firearm enhancement and substitute a lesser uncharged statutory enhancement.
California Penal Code § 12022.53, the state’s “Use a Gun & You’re Done” law, establishes a tiered system of sentencing enhancements for certain ...
by Mark Wilson
THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT unanimously held that police lacked reasonable and articulable suspicion to stop a vehicle occupied by three Black men based solely on a radio dispatch that two Black males had just robbed a convenience store in the area and one was armed with ...
by Mark Wilson
THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE Ninth Circuit held that a federal law, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv), that criminalizes encouraging or inducing an alien to reside in the U.S. for private financial gain of such person is facially overbroad and unconstitutional because it covers a substantial ...
