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Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Two-Party Consent Law Forces Dismissal of 61 Cases in Washington Sting by Sixty-one of 110 men arrested in an ambitious prostitution sting in Bellevue, Washington in August 2017 have had their cases dismissed. Police who made the arrests recorded audio of part of the operation in violation of Washington state …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Filed under: Criminal Procedure
Georgia Supreme Court Reverses Mutually Exclusive Guilty Verdicts by Christopher Zoukis by Christopher Zoukis The Georgia Supreme Court answered an unusual, yet significant, question on December 11, 2017. Can a conviction that requires proof that a rental car was stolen outside of the state coexist with a conviction that requires …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Few Indigent Defendants Have Lawyer at Arraignment by Mark Wilson by Mark Wilson "Giving defendants a lawyer, treating them with respect, and honoring the Constitution give them more confidence in what we’re trying to do,” observes Michigan District Court Judge Tom Boyd. “That starts with giving them the respect they …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Filed under: Criminal Procedure
Ohio Supreme Court: Courts Can Seal Case Records Prior to Expiration of Statute of Limitations by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell A trial court may seal the records of a person whose case has been dismissed without prejudice before the statute of limitations for the offense expires, the Ohio Supreme …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Massachusetts Supreme Court: Sleeping Juror Is “Structural Error,” Requires Intervention by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell The Massachusetts Supreme Court reversed convictions for involuntary manslaughter and assault and battery and ordered a new trial because the trial judge failed to conduct voir dire after the prosecutor advised that some jurors …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
CA Court Rejects Inventory Search and Inevitable Discovery Arguments in Warrantless Search Case by Richard Resch by Richard Resch The Court of Appeal of California, First Appellate District, ruled that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment and the California Constitution should have been suppressed, and it reversed defendant’s …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
California Court of Appeal: Prior Felony Does Not Convert “Wobbler” Into Felony by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell The fact that a defendant admitted he had prior qualifying felonies for a Cal Pen Code § 665(a) enhancement does not convert his current “wobbler” into a felony, and the trial judge …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Georgia Supreme Court Instructs Federal Courts on Its Habeas Review Process by Richard Resch by Richard Resch On January 16, 2018, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued an instructive per curiam opinion in which it announced the need for it to explain its habeas application review process. According to the …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
First Circuit: Plain Error Standard Met When Trial Court Emphasized Erroneous Jury Instruction by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell The trial court’s repeated inclusion of an erroneous element in the jury instructions amounted to a “plain error,” which led the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to vacate …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Use of Sentencing Mitigation Videos Grows by Derek Gilna by Derek Gilna Defendants who plead guilty on both the state and federal level generally are interviewed by the sentencing jurisdiction’s probation department, which seeks background information regarding the criminal history, family history, and health history of the defendant in order …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
DNA Evidence: New Jersey Court Vacates Two 1996 Murder Convictions by Mark Wilson by Mark Wilson After spending 24 years behind bars for murder, Eric Kelley and Ralph Lee walked out of a New Jersey prison in November 2017. Weeks earlier, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Michael Portelli had vacated …
Curb False Confessions: Provide Suspects With Lawyers by Derek Gilna by Derek Gilna According to the nonprofit National Registry of Exonerations, Cook County, Illinois has a false confession rate three times higher than the national average. In November 2017, Cook County Prosecutor Kim Foxx dropped criminal cases against 15 men …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Fifth Circuit: “Fugitive from Justice” Enhancement Requires Intent to Avoid Prosecution by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell The government must show that a defendant had the “express intent” in fleeing to avoid prosecution to prove he was a “prohibited person” under the “fugitive from justice” definition with respect to owning …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Mississippi Capital Murder Conviction Reversed Due to Prosecutorial Misconduct by Christopher Zoukis by Christopher Zoukis The Mississippi Supreme Court reversed the conviction and death sentence of a man accused of the capital murder of a two-year-old child. The reversal resulted from several errors made at trial, as well as the …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Filed under: Criminal Procedure
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas: Holds Trial Objection Enough to Preserve Issue for Appeal by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell When counsel objects at trial to a particular issue—even if it had failed to raise it in a pre-trial written motion—that objection is enough to “preserve” the issue for …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Hawaii Supreme Court: Defendants Entitled to Hearing Within 2 Days by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell There is a “strong presumption” a defendant held in custody beyond two days without a preliminary hearing (or other method to show probable cause), absent “compelling circumstances,” must be released, the Hawaii Supreme Court …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Seventh Circuit: Capital Case Defendant Denied Pro Se Right Granted Habeas Relief by Christopher Zoukis by Christopher Zoukis The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted a state prisoner’s petition for habeas corpus relief because the prisoner was denied his right to proceed pro se at trial, in …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
Filed under: Criminal Procedure
Jury Nullification: A Crucial Check on Government Power by Christopher Zoukis by Christopher Zoukis The power of government in everyday American life cannot be overstated. In the criminal justice setting, the government is essentially all-powerful. When accused of a crime, a citizen faces arrest at the hands of armed police, …
U.S. Murder Clearance Rates Among Lowest in the World by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke Statistically, U.S. law enforcement agencies are the worst crime solvers in the Western world. According to official data, there are arrests for about one-eighth of burglaries, about one-third of rapes, and about two-thirds of murders. …
Article • February 16, 2018 • from CLN March, 2018
California Legalization of Marijuana Allows Convicted to Petition by Derek Gilna by Derek Gilna Proposition 64, which legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana in the state of California, also has a less publicized benefit for those with state marijuana felonies on their record. It allows them to petition to have …
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