Search | Criminal Legal News

Fourth Circuit Clarifies Revocation Appeal Provides “Procedurally Appropriate Mechanism” for Raising Rogers Challenge to Unannounced Supervised Release Conditions, Vacates Revocation Judgment Base...

Article • March 1, 2026 • from CLN April, 2026

Filed under: Waiver of Appeal Rights, Failure to Object, Revocation Proceedings, Conditions of, Plain Error

Fourth Circuit Clarifies Revocation Appeal Provides “Procedurally Appropriate Mechanism” for Raising Rogers Challenge to Unannounced Supervised Release Conditions, Vacates Revocation Judgment Based on Null Standard Conditions by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated a supervised release revocation judgment and …

NEWS IN BRIEF

Article • March 1, 2026 • from CLN April, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF by Alaska: Alaska News Source reported that former Bethel Police Department (BPD) Off. Jonathan Murphy, 39, was convicted on February 13, 2026, of a brutal use of force. Body-camera footage captured Murphy during a December 2023 stolen-vehicle stop as he struck the compliant driver, Bernard Mael. When …

Supreme Court of Maryland Announces Police Officer’s Observation of Driver Manipulating Cellphone Screen Does Not, Without Additional Facts, Establish Reasonable Suspicion for Traffic Stop Under Fourt...

Article • February 1, 2026 • from CLN March, 2026

Filed under: Cell-Phones, Motions To Suppress, Reasonable Suspicion, Traffic Stops, Terry Stops

Supreme Court of Maryland Announces Police Officer’s Observation of Driver Manipulating Cellphone Screen Does Not, Without Additional Facts, Establish Reasonable Suspicion for Traffic Stop Under Fourth Amendment by Douglas Ankney by Doug Ankney The Supreme Court of Maryland held that police officers lacked reasonable suspicion to conduct a traffic stop …

News In Brief

Article • February 1, 2026 • from CLN March, 2026

News In Brief by Arkansas: The Saline Courier reported a swift fall from grace for Bryant Police Department (BPD) Sgt. Brett Carpenter, after he was observed off-duty driving his pickup the wrong way on a service road off I-30 on January 13, 2026. Saline County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies stopped …

Supreme Court of Maryland Announces Division of Correction Must Immediately Apply Time-Served Credit Against Valid Sentences When Convictions Are Vacated and May Not Toll Execution Pending Reprosecu...

Article • January 1, 2026 • from CLN February, 2026

Filed under: Habeas Corpus, Overdetention, Effect of Vacatur, Credits, Concurrent and Consecutive Sentences

Supreme Court of Maryland Announces Division of Correction Must Immediately Apply Time-Served Credit Against Valid Sentences When Convictions Are Vacated and May Not Toll Execution Pending Reprosecution; New Sentences Arising From New Convictions Take by Sagi Schwartzberg by Sagi Schwartzberg The Supreme Court of Maryland held that when a defendant’s …

Maryland Supreme Court Announces Public Defender Act Requires Effective Assistance of Counsel in Certiorari Petition Where Public Defender Appointed Panel Attorney for Direct Appeal and Certiorari P...

Article • December 15, 2025 • from CLN January, 2026

Filed under: Public Defenders, Indigent Defense, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Statutory Construction/Interpretation, Strickland Standard

Maryland Supreme Court Announces Public Defender Act Requires Effective Assistance of Counsel in Certiorari Petition Where Public Defender Appointed Panel Attorney for Direct Appeal and Certiorari Petition by Sagi Schwartzberg by Sagi Schwartzberg In an issue of first impression, the Supreme Court of Maryland held that under the plain language …

NEWS IN BRIEF

Article • December 15, 2025 • from CLN January, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF by Alabama: In a rare victory for ethics enforcement in the Cotton State, a Lauderdale County jury returned a guilty verdict on November 7, 2025, against a former state judge accused of public corruption. According to the Alabama Political Reporter, Gilbert Porterfield Self, Sr., former presiding judge …

NEWS IN BRIEF

Article • November 15, 2025 • from CLN December, 2025

NEWS IN BRIEF by Alabama: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama sentenced former Centre Police Department (CPD) Off. Michael Kilgore, 41, to four years in federal prison on October 8, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in a wild evidence-planting scheme to …

Albert v. GLOBAL TELLINK CORP, MD, Memorandum Opinion, Telephone Rates, 2025

Brief • October 15, 2025

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Contractor Misconduct, Telephones, Telephone Rates, Antitrust Offenses, Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing, etc., Kickback Scheme, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp

Albert v. GLOBAL TELLINK CORP, MD, Memorandum Opinion, Telephone Rates, 2025 Case 8:20-cv-01936-LKG Document 487 Filed 10/15/25 Page 1 of 7 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND ASHLEY ALBERT, et al., Plaintiffs, v. GLOBAL TEL*LINK CORP., et al., Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) …

Fourth Circuit Announces Counterman v. Colorado  Is New Rule of Constitutional Law That Applies  Retroactively to Cases on Collateral Review and  Grants Authorization to File Successive § 2255 Motion

Article • July 1, 2025 • from CLN July, 2025

Filed under: Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Habeas Corpus, Threats

Fourth Circuit Announces Counterman v. Colorado Is New Rule of Constitutional Law That Applies Retroactively to Cases on Collateral Review and Grants Authorization to File Successive § 2255 Motion by Douglas Ankney The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted Scott Lewis Rendelman’s motion for authorization to …

Albert v. Global Tellink Corp, MD, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Telephone Rates, 2025

Brief • June 13, 2025

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Contractor Misconduct, Telephones, Telephone Rates, Antitrust Offenses, Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing, etc., Kickback Scheme, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp

Albert v. Global Tellink Corp, MD, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Telephone Rates, 2025 Case 8:20-cv-01936-LKG Document 439 Filed 06/13/25 Page 1 of 17 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND (SOUTHERN DIVISION) Ashley Albert, et al., * Plaintiffs * v. * Global Tel*Link Corp., et al., …

Maryland Reforms Offer Second Chances on Expungement and Parole

Article • May 15, 2025 • from CLN June, 2025

Filed under: Prior Convictions - Expungement or Reversal of, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Second Chance Act of 2008

Maryland Reforms Offer Second Chances on Expungement and Parole by Jo Ellen Nott by Jo Ellen Nott Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a suite of reform bills into law on April 22, 2025, marking a victory for incarcerated individuals, the formerly incarcerated, and advocates who have worked tirelessly for these …

Albert v. GLOBAL TELLINK CORP, MD, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Telephone Rates, 2025

Brief • April 1, 2025

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Contractor Misconduct, Telephones, Telephone Rates, Antitrust Offenses, Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing, etc., Kickback Scheme, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp

Albert v. GLOBAL TELLINK CORP, MD, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Telephone Rates, 2025 Case 8:20-cv-01936-LKG Document 492 Filed 10/31/25 Page 1 of 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MARYLAND ASHLEY ALBERT, et al., Plaintiffs, Civil Action No. 20-cv-01936-LKG vs. GLOBAL TEL*LINK CORP., et al., Defendants. JOINT STATUS REPORT REGARDING …

Maryland Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Its Discretion by Failing to Exercise That Discretion Where It Summarily Refused Requested Jury Instruction Because It Was a Non-Pattern Instruction and ‘Som...

Article • March 15, 2025 • from CLN April, 2025

Filed under: Jury Instructions, Evidence - Failure to Disclose

Maryland Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Its Discretion by Failing to Exercise That Discretion Where It Summarily Refused Requested Jury Instruction Because It Was a Non-Pattern Instruction and ‘Some Evidence’ Supported the Instruction by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney The Supreme Court of Maryland held that when there is “some …

News in Brief

Article • February 15, 2025 • from CLN March, 2025

Filed under: News in Brief

News in Brief by Alaska: In a rare move, federal prosecutors asked an Alaska judge to vacate the 2019 assault conviction of long-time felon Johnny-Lee Preston Burk, citing a concealed relationship between the presiding judge and a prosecutor in the case. The Alaska Beacon reported that United States District Judge …

Maryland Supreme Court Clarifies Process for Admitting Co-Conspirator’s Hearsay Statements During Police Interview Under ‘Declaration Against Penal Interest’ Exception, Trial Court Must ‘Parse’ Interv...

Article • February 1, 2025 • from CLN February, 2025

Filed under: Standard of Review, Police Interrogations, Evidence - Admissibility, Hearsay Evidence, Co-conspirator Statements

Maryland Supreme Court Clarifies Process for Admitting Co-Conspirator’s Hearsay Statements During Police Interview Under ‘Declaration Against Penal Interest’ Exception, Trial Court Must ‘Parse’ Interview to Determine Admissibility of Each Statement by Sam Rutherford by Sam Rutherford The Supreme Court of Maryland clarified the process a trial court must follow when …

Maryland Supreme Court Announces New Constitutional Rule Requiring Voir Dire Questions Related to Child-Witness Credibility and Abrogates Prior Inconsistent Case Law

Article • December 15, 2024 • from CLN January, 2025

Filed under: Juveniles, Voir Dire, False Exculpatory Statements, Statements of Defendant

Maryland Supreme Court Announces New Constitutional Rule Requiring Voir Dire Questions Related to Child-Witness Credibility and Abrogates Prior Inconsistent Case Law by Sam Rutherford by Sam Rutherford The Supreme Court of Maryland announced a new rule of constitutional law permitting defendants to ask potential jurors during jury selection whether they …

University of Maryland Carey Law Pioneers Forensic Defense Clinic

Article • November 1, 2024 • from CLN November, 2024

Filed under: junk science, Forensic Sciences

University of Maryland Carey Law Pioneers Forensic Defense Clinic by The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore has launched the nation’s first Forensic Defense Clinic designed to equip law students with specialized knowledge in forensic evidence and its role in criminal law. This clinic, led …

News in Brief

Article • September 1, 2024 • from CLN September, 2024

Filed under: News in Brief

News in Brief by Arizona: On June 29, 2024, the Tempe police department posted a Facebook message regarding an award that two of its officers had just received. “Congratulations to Officer Zachary Hyde and Officer Gavin Young. Last night both received the Hero Award at the 35th annual Mothers Against …

Maryland Eliminates Parole Fees

Article • September 1, 2024 • from CLN September, 2024

Maryland Eliminates Parole Fees by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney With the passage of House Bill 531 (“HB 531”), Maryland eliminated the $50 parole fee charged to people returning home from prison. HB 531 also ended the $100 fee charged for drug and alcohol testing. Championed by the nonprofit BUILD …