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

Small pistol

Legal

Abandonment vs. concealment — know the difference

It determines whether property retains constitutional protection from warrantless searches

June 08, 2026 10:52 AM

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Danger on the street blue flasher on the police car at night

Legal

Reasonable suspicion: No divide-and-conquer allowed

Reasonable suspicion is built from the whole picture, not picked apart piece by piece

June 08, 2026 10:51 AM

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Canine Unit

Legal

A K-9 warning matters — but it’s not everything

Police service dog deployments live in a gray area courts continue to refine

June 04, 2026 01:46 PM

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Protest

Legal

Qualified immunity for dummies — revisiting the ‘clearly established’ standard

If reasonable officers can disagree, qualified immunity likely applies

June 04, 2026 01:02 PM

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Male drug dealer sells hard drugs in a transparent plastic bag to an addicted woman with money in her hand, cropped image

Legal

Good faith and solid police work save the search

The Constitution does not require flawless police work — it requires reasonable police work

May 18, 2026 11:05 AM

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Drugs, overdose and man on couch with pills, health risk and narcotic danger in apartment at night. Emergency, addiction and person on sofa with cocaine lines, fentanyl crisis and blackout in home

Legal

The warrant draws the line (and plain view doesn’t erase it)

If you see something beyond its scope, ask these three questions

May 11, 2026 05:42 PM

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Police agents knocking on the door to do a criminal investigation

Legal

A 37-second sweep and qualified immunity

In violent scenes, officers have latitude to check for injured persons

May 11, 2026 01:41 PM

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Force you direct Adobe Stock.jpg

Legal

You own the force you direct

A vehicle pursuit leads to a tragic ending — who’s responsible?

May 04, 2026 11:13 AM

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Riot police on duty during crowd protest or demonstration

Legal

Force used to disperse is not always a seizure

Summary judgment clears officers after a bystander’s less-lethal injury

May 04, 2026 10:52 AM

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Male Policeman Forcing a Compliant Civilian on the Hood of Police Car. Female Holding Suspect at Gun Point. Officer Violently Pushing Man Against the Car. Shocking Case of Police Brutality.

Legal

When bad use of force becomes a federal crime

If it’s willful, unnecessary and dishonest, cases can move from civil to criminal court very quickly

April 20, 2026 12:55 PM

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