On April 29, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Hinson v. Martin[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to excessive force, the use of a police canine (K9) and the boundaries on use of [...]
On March 17, 2021, the Court of Appeals of Georgia decided Terry v. State[i], in which the court examined whether officers exceeded the scope of a traffic stop by having a K9 conduct a free air sniff of the vehicle. [...]
On March 10, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided Helm v. Rainbow City[i], in which the court examined whether officers violated the Fourth Amendment when a teenage girl who was having a grand mal seizure at a concert [...]
On March 17, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. Roberts[i], in which the court examined whether the odor of marijuana can provide police with reasonable suspicion to detain a group of five men when [...]
On March 18, 2021, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Ellsworth v. City of Broken Arrow[i], in which the court examined whether officers violated the plaintiff’s rights under the Fourth Amendment when, believing the plaintiffs to be armed robbery [...]
On February 22, 2021, the Court of Appeals of Georgia decided the Lewis v. State[i], which examines whether an officer can enter the curtilage of a residence and seize evidence that is in plain view without a search warrant. The [...]
On February 11, 2021, the Court of Appeals of Utah decided State v. Valdez[i], in which the court had to determine whether asking a suspect to provide his password to his cellphone was considered “testimonial” within the meaning of Fifth [...]
On February 18, 2021, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. Moreno[i], which serves as an excellent review regarding the law related to frisks. The facts of Moreno are as follows: On September 13, 2018, several [...]
On February 18, 2021, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. Reedy[i], which serves as an excellent review regarding reasonable suspicion and prolonged Terry stops. The facts of Reedy are as follows: Everything began with the [...]
On January 11, 2021, the Supreme Court of Georgia decided Harper v. State[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to non-custodial and custodial interviews of criminal suspects. In Harper, a 20-year-old woman, Thandiwe Hunt was reported [...]