Legal
The Legal topic page on Police1 is a must-read for any officer, at any agency, who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest news. Every trial, verdict and court decision that has to do with cops will be covered on this page.
Officers must shift from focusing solely on convictions to understanding the “win” as earning credibility
U.S. v. Pena examines the legality of voluntary confession in a coerced rape case involving a confession and its admission in court
Examining conflicting court rulings on geofence warrants, highlighting concerns over privacy, constitutionality and law enforcement tactics
A judge has refused to release the BWC of the shooting, which was deemed justified, leading the city council to indicate it would not pay for legal representation
What ex-Deputy Scot Peterson heard and saw during the shooting is the key issue in the trial. He is charged with failing to confront shooter Nikolas Cruz
The court determines if a traffic stop was lawfully (or unlawfully) prolonged and if the evidence discovered is admissible
The Department of Public Safety said it stands by the decisions that were made in this case and “reject the notion that this individual was discriminated against”
The prosecutor in opening statements said the suspect acted with deliberation when he used the Sgt. Michael Chesna’s own gun to shoot him multiple times
A prosecutor argued that former Deputy Scot Peterson could have confronted shooter Nikolas Cruz and stopped the deaths of six of the 17 people
Police commissioners voted to dismiss two officers for violating officer conduct rules on following the law, integrity, trustworthiness, courtesy and respect
Bill named after slain Texas deputy becomes law, increasing penalties for catalytic converter thefts
The bill was named in honor of Deputy Darren Almendarez who was killed while trying to stop three men attempting to steal his vehicle’s catalytic converter
Prosecutors told the 12-member jury that Kenneth Earl Gay, now 65, shot LAPD motor officer Paul Verna five times as he lay on the ground the day of his killing
A man charged with killing Officer Breann Leath will be allowed to seek insanity as a defense as he tries to avoid the death penalty
With lawmakers in limbo, I’m betting on cops and communities to win the fight against radicalization
LEOs interviewed said the law decriminalizing small amounts of heroin and other street drugs is ineffective and they believe it negatively affects public safety
The police chief is “hopeful this lawsuit will help lead to meaningful change in the community” and “awareness of the importance of power dynamics and consent”
During his career with Phoenix police, Officer Cooley rose to become captain, a rank the department said is equivalent to commander today
“This lawsuit will hold Pfeffer’s family legally responsible for the negligence and enablement that contributed to Sgt. Fitzgerald’s tragic death”
There are many layers of complexity inherent in balancing transparency, public safety, and respect for the victims and their families
A judge ruled Covenant School parents have a right to intervene against other groups that want the shooter’s writings, along with other police documents
Even though the appellate court held the subject was not seized, the court noted that the troopers had reasonable suspicion to detain her on suspicion of drug trafficking
As part of the settlement, the city agreed all officers will receive 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training and there will be refresher training every year
Family members, police and others can petition a court to temporarily remove guns from those a judge determines pose an imminent threat to themselves or others
“I want the truth to come out and if it is going to be through a trial, so be it,” Scot Peterson said.
Christian Glass was killed by a sheriff’s deputy while suffering a mental health crisis. Part of the family’s $19M settlement will change how officers are trained
Bryan Kohberger’s trial has been set for early October. The prosecutor now has 60 days to inform the court whether he will seek the death penalty in the case
“We are all a part of an honorable profession, and it is our individual and collective duty to seek the truth on all matters,"" the sheriff’s email said
Under the law, the sale of drug paraphernalia, such as glass tubes for smoking fentanyl, is a civil infraction. But possession is not banned
The $230M legislation provides funding for armed SROs at all public schools, increases physical safeguards and enhances mental health services for students
The bipartisan agreement would avoid making the state the second in the U.S. to decriminalize the possession of controlled substances
The court ruled that self-defense jury instruction that treated the officer like an ordinary citizen was erroneous
Court rules that troopers had independent lawful bases to stop a defendant for a traffic violation and investigate drug trafficking based on collective knowledge doctrine
People with small amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and LSD are subject to non-criminal violations and given the choice to call a statewide hotline or pay a $100 fine
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