D.N.M.: Inventory of a locked backpack was reasonable and within dept regs

The inventory of defendant’s locked backpack when he was taken into custody was within departmental policy which was followed and was otherwise reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. United States v. Trujillo, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184486 (D. N.M. Oct. 29, 2018):
Continue reading

Posted in Inventory | Comments Off on D.N.M.: Inventory of a locked backpack was reasonable and within dept regs

D.D.C.: FBI Agent’s tampering with evidence in def’s case doesn’t lead to dismissal; not significant enough to case

Defendant’s 2255 for proven misconduct by an FBI agent involved in his case of tampering with evidence during the search that surfaced after defendant’s guilty plea does not lead to overturning his conviction. While the agent’s misconduct in another case lead to dismissal there, the tampering here wasn’t anywhere as critical as it was to the other case. United States v. Logan, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183365 (D.D.C. Oct. 26, 2018):
Continue reading

Posted in Police misconduct | Comments Off on D.D.C.: FBI Agent’s tampering with evidence in def’s case doesn’t lead to dismissal; not significant enough to case

Wired: The Privacy Battle to Save Google From Itself

Wired: The Privacy Battle to Save Google From Itself by Lily Hay Newman:

Google is not a consumer software company, or even a search company. It’s an ad company. It collects exhaustive data about its users in the service of brokering ad sales around the web. To do so, Google requires an extensive understanding of the backgrounds, browsing habits, preferences, purchases, and lives of as many web users as possible, gleaned through massive data aggregation and analysis.

Posted in Surveillance technology | Comments Off on Wired: The Privacy Battle to Save Google From Itself

AK: Homeowner has right to refuse police entry by consent

Alaska State Troopers came to defendant’s house with arrest warrants for two persons they suspected were inside. They had no search warrant for the third-party’s house. They beat on the door and demanded entry. Defendant at first refused, but he relented and came to the door and let them in. They could smell fresh growing marijuana, and he was arrested. One has a right to refuse entry by consent into his house. Suppressed. Bergeron v. State, 2018 Alas. App. LEXIS 248 (Oct. 31, 2018) (memorandum).

Posted in Arrest or entry on arrest, Consent | Comments Off on AK: Homeowner has right to refuse police entry by consent

S.D.Tex.: Carpenter applies to a 2015 CSLI application because the case is still pending

Carpenter applies to defendant’s CSLI because his case is still pending despite the fact the CSLI was obtained in 2015. Suppressed. United States v. Beverly, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183539 (S.D. Tex. Oct. 26, 2018).

Defense counsel wasn’t ineffective for not challenging the search. His own argument about the consent of the owner belies his standing. Crane v. United States, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 185632 (M.D. Ala. Oct. 30, 2018).*

Posted in Cell site location information, Ineffective assistance | Comments Off on S.D.Tex.: Carpenter applies to a 2015 CSLI application because the case is still pending

IL: Dog sniff at motel room door violates 4A

A 2014 dog sniff at a motel room door violates the Fourth Amendment, and a reasonably well-trained officer in Illinois would know that. Suppressed. People v. Lindsey, 2018 IL App (3d) 150877, 2018 Ill. App. LEXIS 807 (Oct. 30, 2018).

Officers used a ruse to gain access to defendant’s hotel room. His statement then was suppressed. A prior statement was not. United States v. Lara, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183707 (D. Maine Oct. 26, 2018).*

Posted in Curtilage, Dog sniff | Comments Off on IL: Dog sniff at motel room door violates 4A

NY3: Def’s admission he had MJ justified search of car; when it turned up empty, then a search of his person

Defendant admitted possession of marijuana during a traffic stop. After the car turned up empty, there was then probable cause for a search of his person. People v. Roulhac, 2018 NY Slip Op 07367, 2018 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7357 (3d Dept. Nov. 1, 2018).

The officers and probable cause for defendant’s arrest without a warrant. That permitted a search incident of his person. The alleged omissions in the affidavit for the search warrant for his place were not material and don’t meet the Franks threshold. United States v. Miller, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184010 (W.D. Mo. Oct. 26, 2018).*

Posted in Scope of search | Comments Off on NY3: Def’s admission he had MJ justified search of car; when it turned up empty, then a search of his person

N.D.Ind.: Govt showed emergency to locate serial robber by CSLI ping

Defendant is indicted for Hobbs Act robbery, and detectives believed he was in a string of robberies. They obtained ping information on the phone in an attempt to locate him before he committed another robbery. Exigency is shown by the government for the immediate action to get location of the phone to arrest defendant. This was in good faith reliance on the provisions providing for emergency ping orders. United States v. Hammond, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182866 (N.D. Ind. Oct. 24, 2018).

CSLI obtained a year before Carpenter with a search warrant was supported by probable cause. United States v. Grim, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182860 (D. Del. Oct. 25, 2018).*

Posted in Cell site location information | Comments Off on N.D.Ind.: Govt showed emergency to locate serial robber by CSLI ping

D.N.M.: Federal criminal complaint supported PC for DNA sample

A federal criminal complaint can satisfy the probable cause requirement for a DNA sample. United States v. Mercado-Gracia, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182458 (D. N.M. Oct. 24, 2018).

Defendant’s term of probation permitting searches of his residence includes temporary quarters, such as a motel room. Cochran v. State, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 8859 (Tex. App. – Texarkana Oct. 31, 2018).

Posted in DNA, Probation / Parole search | Comments Off on D.N.M.: Federal criminal complaint supported PC for DNA sample

D.Md.: Omitted information that supported PC belies the officer was attempting to mislead as to a mistake in the affidavit

The failure to include the date of uploading of child pornography images wasn’t known to the officer at the time the search warrant was obtained, so the officer did not mislead the magistrate issuing the warrant. The misstatement of the officer as to the IP address wasn’t intentional nor did it undermine probable cause. In addition, the officer omitted a wealth of information that would have shown more probable cause. That undermines the claim that the officer was attempting to mislead. United States v. Crockett, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 182229 (D. Md. Oct. 24, 2018).

Posted in Franks doctrine | Comments Off on D.Md.: Omitted information that supported PC belies the officer was attempting to mislead as to a mistake in the affidavit

Atlantic: VIDEO: You Should Be Worried About Your DNA Privacy

Atlantic: VIDEO: You Should Be Worried About Your DNA Privacy by Vishakha Darbha & Sarah Zhang:

As DNA tests such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA become increasingly prevalent, concerns about genetic privacy are mounting-and with good reason, says the Atlantic writer Sarah Zhang. In the latest Atlantic Argument, Zhang explains how the recent spate of arrests that were made due to DNA databases-the most famous being the Golden State Killer-are just the beginning.

Posted in DNA | Comments Off on Atlantic: VIDEO: You Should Be Worried About Your DNA Privacy

CA9: Using ruse to gain entry for civil investigation and surreptitious video recording was a “search,” but QI applies

The use of a ruse to get consent to enter plaintiff’s house to conduct a civil fraud investigation violated the Fourth Amendment. The surreptitious use of a video recorder was a “search.” However, it was not clearly established at the time, so he gets qualified immunity. Whalen v. McMullen, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 30686 (9th Cir. Oct. 30, 2018).

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on CA9: Using ruse to gain entry for civil investigation and surreptitious video recording was a “search,” but QI applies