Monthly Archives: July 2018
Supreme Court Rules Police Need A Warrant To Acquire Cell-Site Records From Wireless Carriers
On June 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court made a monumental decision upholding protection of privacy under the Fourth Amendment when it decided that the government (i.e. police and law enforcement) first needed to obtain a warrant (and thus demonstrate probable cause) before tracking an individual’s location using cell phone records. The decision makes an… Read More »
A Close Look At The Issue Of False Confessions
Every day, defendants plead guilty to crimes they did not commit; all over the country. This is often done in order to “get a deal”; public defenders making deals with prosecutors and their clients for lighter sentences or some other form of consideration. Thinking about how many of these could involve untrue confessions is… Read More »
June Marks Major Step For Marijuana Legalization In New York
This week (June 18th), New York took important steps towards legalizing marijuana: The state health commissioner first recommended legalizing the drug. Mayor de Blasio then announced that the city would start handing out tickets to people smoking marijuana instead of arresting them. While the recreational use of marijuana in New York is still technically… Read More »
New Jersey Governor Signs New Gun-Related Bans Into Law
On June 13th, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed new gun prohibitions into law; legislation that establishes background checks on private gun sales, bars armor-piercing bullets, and reduces magazine capacity. Below, we discuss these new provisions in detail, and why there could be law enforcement concerns associated with them. What They Do In sum,… Read More »
“The Case For Shutting Down New York City’s Rikers Island Jail”
We’ve discussed issues at New York’s Rikers Island facility before, documenting the significant number of violent incidents and violations of inmates’ constitutional rights at the facility, which investigators have documented and some legislators have cited as reasons to close the facility within the next 10 years. Now on a mission to reform New York’s… Read More »
New Jersey Legislation Permitting 218 Marijuana Dispensaries & Banning Child Marriage Moves
During the month of June, the New Jersey legislature moved forward on some key issues, including barring individuals under the age of 18 from getting married and opening the state to a number of legal marijuana dispensaries. Below, we discuss these changes in greater detail: New Jersey Steps Closer To Banning Child Marriages On… Read More »
New Jersey Supreme Court Bars Retroactive Application Of Megan’s Law Amendment
On May 30th, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that an amendment to Megan’s Law enhancing penalties for sex offenders who violate parole requirements was unenforceable and violated both state and federal constitutions. In doing so, the court vacated the convicts’ third-degree convictions for parole violations after four offenders had committed minor violations of… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Decides Police Officers Need Search Warrants To Inspect Vehicles In Driveways
On May 29th, the U.S. Supreme Court made an important decision that will impact thousands of potential criminal defendants each year in holding that privacy protections extend to vehicles that are parked in a driveway or carport. In other words, police need a search warrant before inspecting vehicles parked in front of your home… Read More »
