Evidence

Child porn suspect can’t be forced to disclose computer password, state supreme court rules

The Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination protects a child pornography suspect from being forced to reveal his computer password, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled.

Nov 21, 2019 10:38 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Prosecutor killed in ‘freak accident’ in courtroom; lawyer accused of filing suits for nonclients

South Africa prosecutor is killed in courtroom gun incident A South Africa prosecutor was killed Monday when a gun being entered into evidence discharged and the bullet struck her in the hip. The incident that led to the death of Addelaid Ann Ferreira Watt has been described as a “freak…

Nov 20, 2019 3:47 PM CST

Estate of executed man has no standing to obtain DNA testing, judge rules

A Memphis judge on Monday tossed a petition to obtain DNA testing in the case of a man executed 13 years ago.

Nov 20, 2019 11:53 AM CST

Genealogy sites give law enforcement a new DNA sleuthing tool, but the battle over privacy looms

While law enforcement and the public largely welcome the new wave of forensic genealogy, others worry that privacy rights are being eroded by an investigative approach with little regulatory oversight.

Nov 1, 2019 4:20 AM CDT

DC Circuit stays judge’s order requiring release of Mueller grand jury documents to Congress

A federal appeals court has stayed a judge’s order requiring the release of grand jury materials from the special counsel probe to Congress.

Oct 30, 2019 11:27 AM CDT

Longtime prosecutor is fired after judge finds him in contempt for alleged disrespect

A longtime deputy prosecutor in Spokane County, Washington, has been fired after a judge held him in contempt for an alleged argumentative tone and disrespectful attitude in an evidence dispute.

Oct 25, 2019 3:25 PM CDT

Appeals court tosses slip-and-fall award because of admission of Google Maps image

A Florida appeals court has reversed a $90,000 jury award to a woman who slipped and fell on a sidewalk because a Google Maps photo used to bolster her case was not properly authenticated.

Oct 24, 2019 4:41 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Legal words flummox child murder defendant; judge nixes ‘The Godfather Part II’ clip

News Roundup

Oct 22, 2019 3:55 PM CDT

Murder conviction vacated on basis of ineffective lawyering that included false statements to jury

A federal judge in Indianapolis has cited ineffective assistance of counsel in vacating the 2006 murder conviction of a man accused of killing an Indiana University student.

Oct 9, 2019 11:12 AM CDT

Jurors convict ex-cop who shot man after entering wrong apartment; ‘castle doctrine’ is at issue

Jurors convicted Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, of murder Tuesday for shooting and killing a black man after she mistook his apartment for hers.

Oct 1, 2019 12:09 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge OKs ID using altered photo; infants seized for parents’ vitamin refusal, suit says

Judge allows eyewitness IDs based on altered mug shot A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, has refused to toss tellers’ identification of a suspected bank robber based on a mug shot that had been altered to remove the suspect’s tattoos. U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez said three of four tellers…

Sep 26, 2019 4:30 PM CDT

Spousal communication privilege ‘has outlived its useful life,’ state supreme court says

The New Mexico Supreme Court has abolished the spousal communication privilege in a murder case based on testimony by the defendant’s ex-wife and estranged current spouse. The court said the privilege “has outlived its useful life,” report the Legal Profession Blog and the Associated Press. Justifications that have been cited…

Sep 4, 2019 10:55 AM CDT

Some states are allowing people and companies to use blockchain to authenticate documents

Looking to capture a slice of the emerging blockchain market, states have enacted new laws and procedures for recognition of signatures, documents and contracts stored on the technology as legal instruments for verification.

Sep 1, 2019 1:40 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Alleged unlicensed PD failed ethics exam; is puppy-mill law unconstitutional?

Public defender accused of working without a license failed ethics part of bar exam A public defender in New Orleans accused of working without a law license twice failed the ethics portion of the bar exam. The attorney general’s office last week obtained a warrant to arrest the would-be lawyer,…

Aug 28, 2019 4:25 PM CDT

Cops altered mug shot after witnesses said suspect didn’t have tattoos; should ID evidence be tossed?

A lawyer for a defendant charged with bank robbery noticed something amiss when he received the six photos shown to four tellers to see whether they could identify the suspect.

Aug 20, 2019 10:21 AM CDT