Mugridge Law Firm

The U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for states to impose sentences of life in prison without parole on juvenile offenders, ruling against a Mississippi man convicted of killing his grandfather at age 15 in a case testing the Constitution's Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. https://reut.rs/3dGKwy2

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether trial testimony for a criminal defendant can open the door to rebuttal evidence that would otherwise be barred by the confrontation clause. https://bit.ly/3vdMA6r

A statute of limitations sets a time limit for when criminal charges can be filed. The length of that limit depends on what crime is committed, and varies by state. In many cases, a defendant's time spent out of state will not count toward the time limit. This is to prevent suspects from fleeing the state to avoid prosecution. #CriminalLaw

The Fifth Amendment’s double jeopardy clause prevents defendants from being put on trial more than once for the same offense. A key exception is that separate sovereigns can prosecute defendants for the same criminal acts. For example, if a person commits a single act that violates both federal and state laws, they could face trial in both federal and state courts.

Just what sort of emergency allows police to enter your home without a warrant? That was the question before the U.S. Supreme Court recently. https://n.pr/3ss4odc

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether an officer can enter a garage without a warrant when in pursuit of a misdemeanor suspect. https://bit.ly/34npBeV

There are few things as revealing as a person's search history, and police typically need a warrant on a known suspect to demand that sensitive information. But a recently unsealed court document found that investigators can request such data in reverse order by asking Google to disclose everyone who searched a keyword rather than for information on a known suspect. https://cnet.co/3iSOu64

There were 145 offenders released in 2019 about five times more than the year before, when 24 people were granted release, according to a report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. https://cbsn.ws/2GZxrSx

Police dogs bite thousands of Americans each year, including innocent bystanders, police officers, even their own handlers. And there is little oversight, nationally or in the states, of how police departments use them. https://bit.ly/2SwRHgR

Nationwide, jail populations plunged by about 25% between March and June, according to a recent analysis. https://bit.ly/3lode7Z

A person who is formally accused of a crime is generally entitled to certain evidence and information about the prosecution's case. This typically happens before trial, through a process called "discovery." But the prosecution's duty to disclose this material is usually ongoing, and doesn't end when a trial has begun. #CriminalLaw

Police and prosecutor misconduct that distorted evidence or undercut innocence contributed to 54% of false convictions that later resulted in exonerations, according to a report released Tuesday. https://bit.ly/32K5hDv

A growing number of states and localities are exploring new ways to reduce or eliminate reduce or eliminate pretextual or pretext traffic stops. In a pretext stop, an officer pulls over a motorist for a minor traffic or equipment violation and then uses the stop to investigate a more serious crime. https://bit.ly/2Z3FQdO

Police increasingly ask Google and other tech firms for data about who was where, when. Two judges ruled the investigative tool invalid in a Chicago case. https://bit.ly/3lV8kR0

After months of closures, many of the country’s court systems are gradually reopening, having embraced technologies such as Zoom and YouTube to safely hold pleas, sentencings and even Supreme Court hearings. But the jury trial, which most feel can only happen in person, has remained largely stalled. https://wapo.st/3gFdzjR

More prisoners in the United States have died of the coronavirus since March than have been executed since 2001, new data show. https://bit.ly/32GrVeW

The proceeding that appears to be the nation’s first virtual criminal jury trial was underway for just a couple of minutes this week, when a moment occurred that would be familiar to many during the pandemic: a juror’s Zoom video feed froze. Courts across the country have moved some proceedings online, but many judges, defense attorneys and public defenders have been cool to the idea of holding virtual criminal jury trials because of concerns about whether defendants could receive fair trials.

Under normal circumstances, police may enter your home without your permission only if they have a warrant. #CriminalLaw