On July 9, 2019, the Court of Appeals of Georgia decided Chambers v. State[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to seizures of persons and searches of abandoned property.   The relevant facts of Chambers, taken directly [...]

On July 23, 2019, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Keller v. Fleming[i], in which the court examined whether a deputy violated the Fourth or Fourteenth Amendment when he drove a vagrant to the county line, dropped him off, [...]

On July 19, 2019, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided Watkins v. Miller[i], in which the court examined whether, in response to a 911 call regarding a man in a parking lot, an officer violated the Fourth or Fourteenth [...]

On July 9, 2019, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. Sawyer[i], in which the court examined whether a trespasser in residence has reasonable expectation of privacy in his belongings that he leaves inside the residence. [...]

On July 22, 2019, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Shull v. Walgreen Company et al.[i], in which the court examined whether an officer was entitled to qualified immunity from liability when he was sued for violating the plaintiff’s [...]

On June 20, 2019, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Lane v. Nading et al.[i], in which the court examined whether a parole officer was entitled to qualified immunity from suit when he entered Lane’s motel room, without a [...]

On June 4, 2019, the Court of Appeals of Georgia decided Day v. State[i] which serves as an excellent review of the law regarding administrative or special needs searches.  The facts of Day, taken directly from the case, are as [...]

On June 17, 2019, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Johnson v. City of Ferguson[i], in which the court examined whether Dorian Johnson, the companion of Michael Brown, was seized during the nationally known shooting incident involving Brown. The [...]

On June 3, 2019, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thurairajah v. City of Fort Smith[i], in which the court examined whether an officer violated the First and Fourth Amendments when he arrested a man that yelled profanity as [...]

On January 13, 2020, the Supreme Court of Georgia decided White v. State[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to in-home warrantless arrests and the admissibility of subsequent statements to police.  The relevant facts of White, [...]