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.
Split-second decisions are inevitable in the law enforcement profession but reacting in a way that deprives people of their constitutionally approved rights is not
An action that may be perceived as “mean,” yet doesn’t violate a clearly established constitutional right, will not lead to liability for an officer
More than the use of a spotlight, what the officer didn’t do weighed against creating a detention
Police investigating fears about a possible copycat found no explosives in the truck
Officer Stephanie Mohr served 10 years after she was convicted in 2001 of violating a man’s civil rights
House Bill 308 also prohibits employers from penalizing first responders who file a claim with the fund
Sheriff’s deputies were called to the apartment in a sober living facility in May 2014 for a welfare check over concerns the arrestee might harm herself
Opening the door and entering the vehicle exposes more of the vehicle to view and impermissibly intrudes on the driver’s privacy expectation
Officer Toni McBride’s first four shots were justified but the final two were not, the commission ruled
A federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges the deputy used excessive force and intentionally drove over Lionel Womack
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison
The escalating feud began over the summer with a union billboard campaign that bemoaned the city’s homicide rate
While the 2019 U.S. Supreme Court term was a quiet year for police-related cases, Justice Clarence Thomas continued to express concern with qualified immunity
In a year that brought relentless challenges, these are the five events the P1 team and our readership viewed as having the most significant impact
Officers who opened fire on a suspect in the 2018 incident won’t face charges for accidentally killing an employee in the shootout
Prosecutors said they don’t have enough evidence to overcome a shop owner’s self-defense argument
This is the first time police have been decertified under a Colorado law passed in 2019
Under the proposal, agencies would be barred from using the number of arrests made or citations issued to evaluate an officer’s overall performance
The guidelines aren’t mandatory, but they’ll now be part of standards Ohio agencies must abide by to become voluntarily certified by the state
The August incident began when crowds mistook a homicide suspect’s suicide for an officer-involved shooting
Gov. Charlie Baker objected to proposed restrictions on police use of facial recognition tech to solve crimes
A federal judge named four cases where officers violated an order that barred police from using force against peaceful protesters, as well as four cases where they complied
The man who was shot was also indicted after video showed him attacking police with a glass bottle just before the shooting
Plaintiffs claim the city violated a court order that barred Portland officers from arresting or using force against journalists and legal observers
District Attorney George Gascon also said he expects to end misdemeanor prosecutions of most first-time, nonviolent offenders
The deputy sustained fractures in both his legs, officials said
Officers are frequently cautioned to slow down in approaching dangerous situations. Pause, take a moment to think when there is discretionary time
If passed, California would have the highest age requirement for peace officers in the country
Supporters say the bill would take steps to address racial disparities in enforcement of federal drug laws
A St. Paul man was interviewed three times in the last 30 years, admitting to the killing in 2018
Saint Paul Police Officer Anthony Dean shot and wounded a man sought by police last week
The incoming district attorney will not seek the death penalty again despite the family’s wishes for capital punishment
Because City Council rejected the contract, a third-party arbitrator was called in to make a decision and ended up giving police more of a raise
MOST POPULAR
- Federal tax holiday proposal for first responders, corrections, healthcare workers introduced
- Oldest Texas death row inmate executed for police officer’s death
- Vehicle frisk suppression reversed, creating new rule for frisks
- Video evidence, TASER device discharge weighed in court
- Reasonable suspicion required to conduct a visual body cavity search