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Ken Wallentine

Law Enforcement and the Law

Ken Wallentine is the chief of the West Jordan (Utah) Police Department and former chief of law enforcement for the Utah Attorney General. He has served over four decades in public safety, is a legal expert and editor of Xiphos, a monthly national criminal procedure newsletter. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Death and serves as a use of force consultant in state and federal criminal and civil litigation across the nation.

LATEST ARTICLES
Open Garage Door on a Sunny Day
Legal
Domestic violence report didn’t justify warrantless entry
The 6th Circuit ruled vague reports of domestic violence do not automatically justify warrantless entry into a home
October 20, 2025 09:53 AM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
Police Car Stopped on a Road at Night with Emergency Lights
Legal
Deputies liable when drunk juvenile causes multiple fatalities?
Lawsuit examines law enforcement liability when deputies allowed intoxicated juveniles to drive away, resulting in multiple fatalities
October 20, 2025 09:41 AM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
Confinement
Legal
Arresting officer liable for failure to intervene in force
Circuit court ruled an officer could be held liable for failing to stop jail staff from assaulting detainee, citing duty to intervene
October 10, 2025 12:10 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
Harley Davidson Iron 883
Legal
Hoodwinked officers not liable for entry into backyard
Officers tricked into assisting a fraudulent motorcycle repossession were not liable for unlawful search or seizure under Fourth Amendment
October 10, 2025 12:00 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
Beware of Dog Sign
Legal
Lukewarm pursuit did not justify warrantless entry
Circuit court ruled 20-minute delay nullified the hot pursuit exception, making officers’ warrantless entry into a backyard unlawful
October 03, 2025 01:04 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
A bathroom toilet stall with an out of order sign on the door
Legal
No expectation of privacy in broken bathroom
Suspect had no reasonable expectation of privacy in an unlocked, out-of-order public restroom, upholding search as valid
October 03, 2025 12:53 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
night time in Mission district, San Francisco, California
Legal
Sticking to department vehicle inventory policy leads to drug and gun conviction
The 10th Circuit upheld a drug and gun conviction, ruling officers lawfully impounded a vehicle and conducted an inventory search
September 24, 2025 11:41 AM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
Line up mugshot template with lighting effect. Background for burglar profile. Police inches height chart for photoshoot of wanted, arrested or suspected person identification. Vector illustration
Legal
Following proper photo lineup policy leads to admissible evidence and conviction
The 6th Circuit upheld a man’s carjacking conviction, ruling a police photo lineup was not unduly suggestive
September 24, 2025 11:13 AM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
illuminated neon motel sign red letters dark blue sky
Legal
We catch the dumb ones and the really evil ones
Court upheld a 15-year sentence after ruling a defendant who claimed he was “saving” minors targeted in a child sex sting
September 19, 2025 01:30 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
gun hidden in bed
Legal
When ‘talk nice, think mean’ isn’t enough; courtesy doesn’t fix ‘warrants’ ambiguity
In U.S. v. Glover, the D.C. Circuit ruled ambiguous references to “warrants” may have led to involuntary consent for a home search
September 12, 2025 01:02 PM
 · 
Ken Wallentine
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