News

Navy investigators get a warrant to seize—and only seize—a sailor's phone. They search it anyway and find the bad things, but the district court suppresses the evidence. On appeal, the prosecution pleads "good faith" reliance on a defective warrant.…

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Case v. Montana, No. 24-625 (June 2, 2025) (cert. granted), to decide “whether law enforcement may enter a home without a search warrant based on less than probable cause that an emergency is…

Allegation: Grand Rapids, Mich. police are on the lookout for an adult white woman with a ponytail who is suspected in a stabbing. They surround and draw their guns on an 11-year-old Black girl with no ponytail, whom they handcuff and place in a squad car while she screams and cries.…

A Schrödinger’s motion that has vexed habeas practitioners: How long must a case gather dust in state court before I can seek federal habeas? Well, an Indiana man convicted of murder files a petition for post-conviction relief in state court, which proceeds to do absolutely nothing with the…

Court officials have warned the defender services program will no longer have the funds to pay attorneys, appointed by federal courts to represent criminal defendants who can’t afford representation, for their work over the last few months of this fiscal year (…

Yesterday, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Fernandez v. United States, No. 24-556 (May 27, 2025) (cert. granted), to decide “whether a combination of ‘extraordinary and compelling reasons’ that may warrant a discretionary sentence reduction under…

Many court-appointed defense lawyers in Massachusetts may stop doing the work Tuesday, which could cause a crisis for criminal defendants and the courts who seek their work. (…

The Utah Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that "serious" constitutional violations during the jury trial and resentencing for death row inmate Douglas Stewart Carter merit a new trial. See The Salt…

Missouri man is going to trial for dealing meth when he tries to fire his (second) lawyer and defend himself pro se. District court: That's "not a very good decision." Even if you were a lawyer, "pro se is a bad decision." Defendant: Whatever. Court: OK, fine. Defendant is then convicted,…

Ohio man is convicted of murdering his wife. Yikes! The lead investigator, Jeff Braley, is a serial fabulist, having lied about, among other things, having a master's degree, had attended a college in Florida, having been a U.S. Postal Inspector, and a Special Forces parajumper.…