Supreme Court Hears Two Cases On Plea Bargains

November 4, 2011

The overwhelming majority of criminal cases are resolved with a plea bargain. In fact, it’s estimated that over 90% never make it to trial—instead meeting their end when the prosecutor and defendant come together in a mutual agreement. But what happens if a defendant isn’t told of a plea offer and ends up being sentenced [...]

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Thousands of Americans Arrested at Occupy Protests

October 25, 2011

New York City, Chicago, Boston, Denver, San Diego. The story’s the same across the country. The police are over-worked and getting antsy about it. The persistence of the protesters to stay put, is getting a definitive result: thousands of arrests.

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Cops Don’t Want Their DNA Taken

October 21, 2011

Over the past several years, we’ve heard about DNA databases designed to keep tabs on convicted criminals. These databases are designed to catalog the identifying information to potentially help solve future crimes. But some in the criminal justice world think that the same sort of cataloging should be done on police officers. Understandably, many officers [...]

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Marijuana Legalization Supported by Half of All Americans

October 18, 2011

A new poll by Gallup puts support for marijuana legalization at an all time high, 50% of all Americans.

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Defendants Who Make Pen Pals of Judges

September 26, 2011

When you are facing significant criminal charges with nothing to lose, who would you write a letter to? Many defendants are using their time pending sentencing to write to the judge overseeing their case, all in an effort to beg leniency for their offenses. “Most defense attorneys, I think, would view this kind of correspondence, [...]

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Senator Jim Webb Still Pushing Progressive Crime Bill, Hopeful of Passage

September 22, 2011

In a last ditch effort, Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.) is pushing for the passage of his National Criminal Justice Commission Act, a piece of legislation that was halfway to becoming law last year before it missed the final calendar in the Senate. He’s announced he won’t be running again in 2012, but is hopeful that [...]

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Massachusetts Town Rejects State Funding for License Plate Scanners

September 15, 2011

In a first for the state, and possibly the first nationwide, a town has rejected state funding for police to purchase automatic license plate scanners (ALPR) due to privacy concerns.

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Appeals Court Sides with ACLU in Cell Phone Tracking

September 14, 2011

Law enforcement agencies across the country are gathering information from suspects’ cell phones without warrants. They may not be reading your text messages or viewing your call list, but they are tracking your locations. A U.S. Appeals Court ruled this week that the Justice Department must tell the public how it is using this information [...]

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Federal Appeals Court Rules Recording Police Is Constitutionally Protected

September 1, 2011

In a ruling that may have long reaching effects, the Federal Court of Appeals in Boston ruled this week that a citizen’s right to record the police in the commission of their duties is protected by the First Amendment. The case involved Simon Glik, a spectator who recorded three police officers who he believed were [...]

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Supreme Court Will Review Eyewitness Identification

August 29, 2011

The last time the United State Supreme Court examined eyewitness identification and the Constitution was 1977. Since that time, much has been learned about the role and the effectiveness of human memory in regards to identifying a stranger. Now that they plan to revisit the issue, some hope this will open an opportunity for the [...]

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