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.
This is how states have modified the QI doctrine since the upheaval of 2020
California’s “No Secret Police Act,” introduced by Senator Scott Wiener, would make it a misdemeanor for officers to obscure their faces
Court rules that sergeant’s alleged application of pain compliance techniques upon a recalcitrant protester may be a violation of clearly established law
The new law dissolves citizen review panels in at least six Iowa cities, with lawmakers citing a need to protect officers from political scrutiny
HB202 rewrites Alabama’s police immunity law and adds new definitions for courts to determine whether an officer is justified in a use of force and immune from prosecution
The 10th Circuit ruled the bullet seizure during surgery was lawful, justified by medical consent under the Fourth Amendment
The 10th Circuit upheld the admissibility of a voluntary confession, ruling it was Fifth Amendment compliant given the friendly interview
“To assess whether an officer acted reasonably in using force, a court must consider all … facts and events leading up to the climactic moment,” the majority opinion stated
The force used by officers against a man they mistakenly believed was a wanted suspect was justified due to his resistance during the arrest, a judge ruled
Columbus officers could be heard on BWC footage before the shooting identifying themselves as police and ordering a man to drop knives he was using to threaten another man
The agency said the law “appears on its face to violate the First Amendment” by not providing an exception “for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic Priests”
Former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr fatally shot a man after the man gained control of his TASER
A jury took about 8 1/2 hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis
Full tuition waivers to the state’s colleges would be available after six years of service; line of duty death benefits would increase from $25,000 to $100,000 under the bill
“This is absolutely outrageous, to fundraise off the assassination of a law enforcement officer,” said Jay McDonald, president of FOP Ohio
The plan boosts DHS funding by 65% to support mass removals, complete the border wall, and expand the Border Patrol and customs workforce to 26,383 officers
Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond faces a second restraining order after seizing 50 guns in defiance of a court directive during a jail control dispute
Erik Hernandez was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of Justin Reffel, who was attempting to flee from Hernandez and another officer in a vehicle
“I believed that if I hadn’t done it at that time, I wasn’t going to go home,” said former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr
The April 28 directive expands legal protections, reduces oversight burdens and repositions federal support to strengthen police operations
Focusing on impaired driving apprehension is critical for safer roadways
In U.S. v. Pinder, the 10th Circuit questioned a car search and discovery of evidence under the search-incident-to-arrest doctrine
ShotStop Ballistics is also facing federal probes after an investigation found the company was buying armor plates from China and claiming they were manufactured in the U.S.
The Kim Potter case reignited concerns about “TASER confusion,” but with proper training and use, officers can reduce risk without abandoning one of law enforcement’s safest force options
A judge ordered the Franklin County sheriff to leave riot gear in the county jail; a deputies’ union has filed for a restraining order after he told officers to remove it anyway
Desmond Mills Jr.'s testimony came in the second day of the trial of three other former officers, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder
Report writing is not a chore, it is the best tool for avoiding lost cases, lost lawsuits and lost careers
Cops and prosecutors share a passion for making society a better place, but the street is vastly different than the courtroom
Court affirms that tactics used to disperse unruly crowd did not violate protesters’ constitutional rights, dismisses excessive force lawsuit and grants officers qualified immunity
The first order aims to provide legal assistance to officers, enhance penalties for crimes committed against cops, increase pay and expand the size and security of prisons
“Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder, even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow,” Rep. James DeSana said, citing the Catechism
Texas officers acting in the line of duty have occasionally been charged and convicted of deadly conduct, defined as recklessly putting someone in danger of bodily injury
S.B. 641 will “repeal the statutory limit on the number of police,” allowing the Pennsylvania State Police to “hire the number of troopers that they see fit,” State Sen. Marty Flynn said
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