Tennessee Supreme Court Announces Prospective Abrogation of Common Law Accomplice-Corroboration Rule by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney   The Supreme Court of Tennessee abrogated the common law accomplice-corroboration rule on a prospective basis and dismissed the murder conviction of Laronda Turner due to insufficient evidence. Turner, along with codefendants Tony …

Mississippi Ends ‘Dead Zone’ by Jordan Arizmendi by Jordan Arizmendi In April 2023, the Mississippi Supreme Court unanimously amended the state’s Rules of Criminal Procedure to eliminate the “dead zone.” Essentially, Rule 7.2 of Mississippi declares that counsel must be provided to an indigent defendant after they have been indicted. …

First Circuit Vacates Sentence Containing 20-Year Upward Variance Because District Court Failed to Provide Case-Specific Factors or Rationale for Such a Large Variance by Richard Resch by Richard Resch The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated Jadnel Flores-Nater’s 30-year prison sentence containing a 20-year upward variance because …

Sensitive Information in Police Database Vulnerable to Hacking by Kevin Bliss by Kevin W. Bliss The law enforcement tech company, ODIN – which catalogs tactical plans for police raids, criminal investigation information, and the personal data of any person coming into contact with police whether as victim, criminal, or confidential …

Tenth Circuit: Unreasonable Determination of Downward Variance of Guidelines Resulted in Plain Error by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held that the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming committed plain error in applying the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines”) …