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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
The court rules on whether a deputy had reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop based on the suspect’s behavior and state of his vehicle
The Court held, “the application of physical force to the body of a person with intent to restrain is a seizure even if the person doesn’t submit and isn’t subdued”
A seizure occurs when officers employ “physical force” or a “show of authority” that “in some way restrains the liberty” of the person
This case presents a novel variation on the classic controlled buy
Qualified immunity is not dependent on the officer using the best tactic and when applied, does not mean the officer is immune from criticism
The plaintiff claimed both the initial deployment of the police dog and the duration of the bite violated clearly established law
The initial contact was in response to the welfare check, and the deputy’s actions were reasonably related to community caretaking
Officers should consider taking an extra moment to knock on the window or door of a passed-out driver
One can easily relate to the deputies’ desire to seize the gun after a short, dangerous pursuit
Could the affidavits have been written in such a way as to establish probable cause to search for digital images?