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.
Two Colorado prosecutions of officers for failing to intervene illustrate what makes a prosecutable case
When does the Sixth Amendment right to counsel attach? The court rules on when the right to counsel was implicated in a recent case
The “sensitive locations” effort stems from the Bruen Supreme Court decision
Court also rejects lower court use of freeze-frame “screen shots,” ruling that it amounts to “20/20 hindsight and second-guessing” of officer split-second decision to shoot
The Supreme Court had previously held that tribal police have little authority over non-members
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
Among the charges are second-degree murder and manslaughter
A portion of bodycam video released earlier shows the suspect lunging at and attacking a responding officer
The bill allows photos to be released if the suspect poses an “immediate danger” to the public
Training in de-escalation, duty to intercede and other tactics, as well as improved communication between LEOs, can help contribute to improved pre-force actions
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”
The bill would require cities to hold an election if their proposed budget reduces or reallocates police funding
AG Letitia James said the bill would amend the current law “from one of simple necessity to one of absolute last resort”
Ronald Greene’s family has filed a lawsuit claiming that troopers covered up his cause of death in the May 2019 arrest
“There was nothing on its face that was illegal,” the judge said. “The detention of a suspect is not a criminal act”
The letter, which was not officially issued by the U.S. Capitol Police, admonished Congress members for opposing the commission
The bill establishes a point person at the DOJ who would review hate crime incidents reported to law enforcement agencies
The package creates an independent investigations office, bans chokeholds and broadens the ability to de-certify officers who’ve engaged in misconduct
The justices rejected a “community caretaking” rule that may authorize police to enter a home even if they have no evidence of a crime or an emergency
A judge ruled Officer Richard Nicoletti had been authorized by his commanders to clear the highway and had been given pepper spray as a tool to do so
Former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter, who is charged with second-degree manslaughter, will stand trial Dec. 6
The women were booked on charges of felony vandalism and conspiracy
Did incident circumstances, including the concept of inattentional blindness, result in an officer’s inability to see the suspect drop his gun?
A seizure occurs when officers employ “physical force” or a “show of authority” that “in some way restrains the liberty” of the person
The postponement is in part to allow the publicity of Derek Chauvin’s conviction to cool off, a judge ruled Thursday
The measure requires police to divert a defendant’s first two offenses to treatment before the case makes it to a prosecutor
This case presents a novel variation on the classic controlled buy
The bill would carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years for killing federally funded law enforcement members, firefighters and EMS providers
A Minnesota judge has ruled that there were aggravating factors in the death of George Floyd, opening the possibility of a longer sentence
The decisions to seek the death penalty and a sentencing enhancement under Georgia’s hate crime law “send a message that everyone within this community is valued,” said the Fulton County District Attorney
The group has rejected a $100,000 payment and says it will release sensitive information if more money isn’t offered, police said
A jury found Officer William Ben Darby guilty after about two hours of deliberations, returning a verdict that left local police “in the first stages of shock”
The change will still let business owners detain suspected thieves and allows for self defense
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