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Criminal Procedure

Criminal procedure rulings on Fourth Amendment searches, Miranda rights, due process, sentencing guidelines, and defendant rights.

64 articles

State Court
•4 min read
Oregon Supreme Court

Oregon Supreme Court Reverses Search Ruling in Civil Detox Case

The Oregon Supreme Court reversed a Court of Appeals decision that allowed police to search an opaque container during a civil detox hold. The case involved Jason Thomas Wilcox and centers on Fourth Amendment protections during noncriminal custody under Oregon's civil detox statute.

•Oregon Supreme Court reversed Court of Appeals ruling allowing search of opaque containers during civil detox holds
•Case involves interpretation of state constitutional protections during noncriminal custody under ORS 430.399
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State Court
•4 min read
Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court Rules Trial Warning Sufficient for Absent Defendant

The Illinois Supreme Court reversed an appellate decision in *People v. Hietschold*, ruling that a trial court adequately warned a defendant about the consequences of failing to appear for trial. The court held that telling a defendant he could be tried, convicted, and sentenced in his absence was sufficient, even without explicitly mentioning the waiver of confrontation rights.

•Illinois Supreme Court reversed appellate ruling that found trial court's admonishment inadequate for absent defendant trial
•Defendant David Hietschold was convicted in absentia on felony aggravated battery charges and sentenced to 42 months' imprisonment
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State Court
•4 min read
Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Trial in Absentia Admonishment Rules

The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously reversed an appellate court ruling, holding that trial courts need not explicitly warn defendants that absence from trial waives their right to confront witnesses. The decision clarifies procedural requirements for trials conducted without the defendant present.

•Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled that trial courts need not explicitly warn defendants that absence waives confrontation rights
•The decision reverses an appellate court ruling that had found trial court admonishments insufficient
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State Court
•4 min read
Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Timing of Directed Verdict Motions

The Illinois Supreme Court held that trial courts must rule on defendants' mid-trial motions for directed verdict before proceeding to defense evidence. In People v. Johnson, the court affirmed the defendant's conviction despite finding procedural error, ruling the mistake did not warrant reversal under the plain error standard.

•Illinois Supreme Court rules trial courts must decide directed verdict motions before proceeding to defense evidence
•Court affirmed defendant's conviction despite procedural error, finding evidence was not closely balanced
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State Court
•4 min read
Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Hears Appeal on Pretrial Detention in Sexual Assault Case

The Utah Supreme Court issued a divided opinion in *State v. Harris*, addressing whether Christoffer Alan Harris should remain detained without bail while awaiting trial on sexual assault charges involving a minor. The case raises important questions about pretrial detention rights and jurisdictional authority.

•Harris remains detained without bail on sexual assault charges involving a minor
•Utah Supreme Court issued a 3-2 split decision on jurisdictional authority to hear the appeal
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State Court
•4 min read
Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Reverses District Court on Statute of Limitations

The Utah Supreme Court reversed a district court's decision to reserve statute of limitations issues for a jury trial in a decades-old child sexual abuse case. The court held that judges, not juries, must determine statute of limitations questions in criminal cases by a preponderance of the evidence standard.

•Utah Supreme Court reversed district court decision to let jury decide statute of limitations question
•Case involves 2022 charges for alleged child sexual abuse from 1988-1990
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State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of Minnesota

Minnesota Supreme Court Reverses District Court Dismissal of Life Sentence Challenge

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a district court incorrectly dismissed Adrian Dominic Riley's motion to correct his mandatory life sentences, finding the lower court had jurisdiction to hear the challenge under state procedural rules.

•District court incorrectly concluded it lacked jurisdiction over Riley's sentence correction motion
•Supreme Court applied Reynolds v. State precedent regarding limitations periods for sentence challenges
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State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of Guam

Guam Supreme Court Vacates Conviction in Firearm Case Due to Evidence Error

The Supreme Court of Guam vacated Jesse Junior Quintanilla Pinaula's felony convictions for firearm and drug possession after finding the trial court improperly admitted prejudicial evidence about his pretrial release status and pending criminal matter.

•Supreme Court of Guam vacated Jesse Pinaula's felony convictions for firearm and drug possession
•Trial court improperly admitted evidence of defendant's pretrial release status and pending criminal matter
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State Court
•4 min read
Connecticut Supreme Court

Connecticut Supreme Court Upholds Conviction in 1984 Cold Case

The Connecticut Supreme Court has affirmed the kidnapping convictions of Michael Sharpe in a decades-old cold case involving four separate incidents from 1984. The case was solved using DNA evidence collected from the defendant's discarded trash in 2020.

•Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed Michael Sharpe's kidnapping convictions in four 1984 cold cases
•Case was solved in 2020 using DNA evidence from a belt found in defendant's discarded trash
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State Court
•4 min read
Connecticut Supreme Court

Connecticut Supreme Court Splits on DNA Collection in State v. Sharpe

The Connecticut Supreme Court issued a divided opinion in State v. Sharpe, with Justices D'Auria and Ecker filing a partial concurrence and dissent challenging the constitutionality of warrantless DNA collection from discarded items.

•Connecticut Supreme Court splits on constitutionality of warrantless DNA collection from discarded items
•Justices D'Auria and Ecker dissent from majority's approval of DNA evidence gathering methods
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