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.
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
The April 28 directive expands legal protections, reduces oversight burdens and repositions federal support to strengthen police operations
“Deputy Byrd was one of our own, and we have never stopped working to ensure justice is served,” Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe said
“American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi
Officers face split-second decisions, but politics and misinformation are shaping the rules they must follow — often with dangerous consequences
Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, 34, a nine-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police, was working overtime on a traffic enforcement detail when he was struck and killed
West Boylston Police Chief Dennis Minnich put himself on leave over the dispute in mid-February and said he would not return to work until the town administrator was gone
Here’s how to protect your credibility, avoid a mistrial and win in court
A grand jury recommended the Hanceville Police Department be “immediately abolished,” saying it has “operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency”
Jurors convicted Clear Creek County Deputy Andrew Buen of criminally negligent homicide in the June 2022 shooting, which led to changes in mental health crisis training
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Five Hanceville officers, including the chief, have been indicted on charges ranging from mishandling evidence to drug crimes, as investigators uncover severe misconduct
Peltier was convicted of shooting FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams at close range in 1975
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“Civil forfeiture is neither intended to be criminal punishment nor is the overall scheme so punitive...that the statutes amount to criminal punishment,” Chief Justice Meagan Flynn wrote
Unions serving Utah police officers, teachers, firefighters, transit workers and other public employees will be prohibited from negotiating on their behalf
Fla. law enhances penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, expands ICE cooperation
Under the law, any migrant who is in the country illegally and convicted of a capital felony must be sentenced to death, removing jury discretion and challenging existing precedent
In Stapleton v. Lozano, the 5th Circuit ruled officers were not deliberately indifferent after a drug user died in custody
Former Las Cruces police officer Brad Lunsford shot the man in the head after the man put his hands on a second officer’s TASER
Three legislators have proposed bills to classify burglaries in emergency areas as felonies punishable by prison sentences; one would also crack down on first responder impersonators
“Glock could have designed its pistols to prevent auto sears from working. They chose not to. That choice cost lives,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown stated
Former deputy Sean Grayson has been charged with murder after firing three shots, striking Massey when she removed a pot of boiling water from the stove
Ian Cramer pleaded guilty to theft, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment; he previously pleaded guilty to homicide in the death of Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin
NYPD policy states that precincts must provide “a private room or an office for employees to express breast milk,” which must “provide an employee with the requisite privacy”
Kevin Davis alleged the former Alachua County sheriff had a pattern of racial bias in staffing decisions, which led to Davis being repeatedly overlooked in favor of Black candidates
State officials are still “having conversations” over concerns about how “Karina’s law” might make it difficult for law enforcement to store all the guns officers confiscate
Central to the legal issue was whether Raleigh PD Officer Gabriel Torres was on duty on Oct. 13, 2022, when he pulled out of his driveway to investigate the sound of gunshots
The Rock Island County state’s attorney ruled that Officer Brett Taylor’s use of force was “objectively reasonable” as the suspect used the vehicle as a deadly weapon
The law makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a working police officer after being ordered or asked to step back
The drone struck a Super Scooper battling the Palisades Fire, leaving a hole in its wing and forcing it out of service amid the deadly wildfire
The Thin Blue Line Act would expand the death penalty for targeting first responders, while the Protect and Serve Act would increase prison time for attacks on officers
The man pleaded guilty to charges that included the murder of Scott County sheriff’s Deputy Caleb Conley, 35, in 2023
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