U.S. Supreme Court Rejects the Provocation Rule in Excessive Force Lawsuits
May 30, 2017. The case involved officers who entered a home without a warrant, perceived a threat, and opened fire.
Attorney General Reignites War on Drugs, Orders Prosecutors to Seek Stiffer Penalties
May 10, 2017. U.S. AG Jeff Sessions ordered prosecutors to go for the most serious charges available.
Supreme Court: Wrongful Detention Even After Court Appearance Violates the Fourth Amendment
March 21, 2017. The beginning of court proceedings doesn't eliminate the Fourth Amendment from the picture.
California Expands Its Distracted Driving Laws Beyond Phone Calls and Text Messaging
January 1, 2017. A.B. 1785, which goes into effect January 1, 2017, will prohibit all cellphone and wireless devices usage while driving, except when using a hands-free device.
Delaware High Court: Decision Striking Down Death Penalty Is Retroactive
December 15, 2016. Delaware is on the list of states without capital punishment.
States Vote in Favor of the Death Penalty
November 08, 2016. California, Nebraska, and Oklahoma had capital punishment measures on their ballots.
June 27, 2016. SCOTUS clarified that, in order for the gun ban to apply, a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence doesn't have to involve
SCOTUS Decides Police Need Warrants for DUI Blood Tests
June 23, 2016. The Court also determined that it can't be a crime to refuse a blood test after a DUI arrest.
June 20, 2016. Critics argue the "attenuation doctrine" decision will mean lots more detentions for people doing nothing wrong.
Can't Prosecute Then Judge, Says U.S. Supreme Court
June 09, 2016. A judge who has had significant, personal involvement in the case as a prosecutor has to be recused.
U.S. Supreme Court: No Sixth Amendment Right to Speedy Sentencing
May 19, 2016. The high court held that the Speedy Trial Clause doesn’t apply to delayed sentencing.
U.S. Supreme Court: The Second Amendment Applies to Stun Guns
March 21, 2016. The Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies to stun guns.
Supreme Court: Rule Nearly Banning Life Without Parole for Juveniles Applies Retroactively
January 25, 2016. A 2012 decision outlawing mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders applies to cases decided before then.
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Capital Punishment System Allowing Judge Rather Than Jury to Impose Death
January 12, 2016. The Court held that, by allowing a judge to make findings that result in the death penalty, Florida's system violated the Sixth Amendment.
Department of Justice Policy Requires Warrants for Most “Stingray” Searches
September 03, 2015. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a policy for the use of cell-site simulators (commonly called “stingrays”).
Connecticut's Death Penalty Fades Away
August 13, 2015. At the point that Connecticut abolished the death penalty in 2012, 11 people in that state were on death row.
Correction to The Criminal Law Handbook (14th ed.) on Resisting Arrest
July 30, 2015. The 14th Edition of The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System states the following on page 88:
Police Officers Can't Search Hotel Records Whenever They Want
June 22, 2015. The U.S. Supreme Court held that hotel operators are entitled to some kind of independent review before opening their registries.
Supreme Court Limits the Right to Confront Witnesses
June 18, 2015. The majority found that a child-abuse victim's hearsay didn't violate the Confrontation Clause.
Supreme Court: Federal Threat Statute Requires More Than Negligence
June 01, 2015. The high court rejected the "reasonable person" standard.
Supreme Court Gives Felons More Say Over What Happens to Their Guns
May 18, 2015. Federal law doesn't stop felons from selling or transferring firearms they lawfully owned.
Supreme Court Says No to Dog Sniffs That Unnecessarily Prolong Traffic Stops
April 21, 2015. In a typical scenario, a police officer can't conduct a dog sniff after completing the ticket-issuing process.
Supreme Court: Forcing Someone to Wear a Tracking Device is a "Search"
March 30, 2015. In the spring of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided another case about tracking technology and the Fourth Amendment.