A man brought his computer in for servicing, and the repairman viewed what appeared to him “to be underage girls engaged in sexual activity.” He called the police. The responding officer indicated the images the repairman saw did not appear to be pornographic, but asked the repairman to search the rest of the computer. The […]
“Guilt Has Very Quick Ears To An Accusation.” Henry Fielding.
After a man was bound over for trial and in police custody, detectives became aware that additional demand-note robberies, perpetrated with the same distinctive modus operandi as those for which the man was being held, had occurred in the same part of Los Angeles. The detectives never disclosed the true state of affairs, and, instead […]
Navy’s Surveillance Information Suppressed.
A special agent of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service [NCIS] found evidence of internet activity involving child pornography and turned the information over to civilian authorities. A man was then arrested, convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography. A federal district court refused to suppress the evidence, and […]
Police Did Not Retain Evidence, So Charges Were Dismissed.
The trial court dismissed robbery charges against three defendants and the prosecution appealed. The night they were arrested, one of the three specifically asked the detective in charge to check the video cameras, which the detective later denied, but was impeached with an audio of the conversation. At the first opportunity, the defense lawyer asked […]
Victim Found To Be Unavailable To Testify Under Sixth Amendment.
The Sixth Amendment provides that an accused shall have the right to be confronted with witnesses against him. In this criminal case alleging child molestation, a jury deadlocked 10 to 2 in favor of conviction in the first trial. In that first trial, the victim, a kindergartener, testified and was cross-examined, but when the case […]
Conviction Reversed Because Prosecutor Was Discriminatory In Jury Selection.
A federal appellate court reversed the California state court murder conviction of a 17- year-old Hispanic boy, after concluding the prosecutor excused too many Hispanic jurors. Each side could excuse 20 potential jurors from the jury. Here, the prosecutor excused 12, and 7 of those 12 were Hispanic. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded the prosecutor […]
Child Slavery: “Those Who Deny Freedom To Others Deserve It Not For Themselves.” Abraham Lincoln.
Plaintiffs are former child slaves who were forced to harvest cocoa in the Ivory Coast in West Africa, working up to 14 hours a day six days a week with only scraps of food to eat. They filed claims under the Alien Tort Statute [28 U.S.C. §1350] against American companies alleging they aided and abetted […]
Grant Of Summary Judgment Reversed In Police Shooting.
Police officers stopped a car for a broken tail light after being informed the driver was a methamphetamine-selling gang member. They shouted for the driver to get on the ground as he was emerging from the vehicle. According to four of the officers, he ignored their commands and instead reached for the waistband of his […]
Defendant’s Sexual Orientation Not Relevant; Conviction Reversed.
The woman defendant in a criminal trial was charged with molesting a six-year-old girl she babysat. She was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison. During closing arguments, the prosecutor repeatedly urged the jury to consider the defendant’s sexual orientation in deciding the truth of the charges against her. In reversing her conviction, the […]
Injuries Caused By Bicyclist . . . A Criminal Case.
While riding his bicycle, a defendant in a criminal matter collided with a pedestrian, seriously injuring her. The district attorney charged him with recklessly driving a “vehicle” under Vehicle Code section 23103. One section of the code, however, defines “vehicle” in a way that excludes bicycles. (Veh.Code § 670.) Another section of the code subjects […]
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