Category Archives: Supreme Court News
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case on Appeal Waivers in Plea Agreements
We’ve previously discussed the issue of the rise in the number of plea bargains versus jury trials over time, all over the country, and the impact this arguably has on ensuring that justice is done, in general, in our criminal justice system. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court itself estimated that 97 percent of… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Florida Man in Free Speech Case
On June 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of upholding civil rights in a case involved an arrest at a city council meeting in south Florida’s City of Riviera Beach. The man was originally arrested in retaliation for being an outspoken critic of decisions made by the city; however, he was also… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Strengthens Digital Privacy & Warrant Requirement for Cell Phone Data
On June 22, the U.S. Supreme Court made a monumental decision strengthening digital privacy and upholding Fourth Amendment protections in the Carpenter v. United States decision, ultimately finding that the government first needs to obtain a warrant in order to access your cell site location. This decision will not only impact circumstances involving private… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Opens the Door to Legalizing Sports Betting In Florida and Elsewhere
On May 14th, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal law that banned sports betting in almost every state. Specifically, the law prohibited states from authorizing and licensing sports gambling, which involves allowing gamblers to bet on everything from which team is going to win a… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Deportation Law That Vaguely Transforms Crimes into Felonies
On April 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that would have allowed the federal government to deport criminals who have committed “serious crimes.” This decision will affect the administration’s ability to deport individuals who very vaguely have a criminal record of some kind, as the justices pointed out just how unconstitutionally… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Point to Importance of Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor made a speech about criminal defense attorneys in her recent visit to the University of Houston Law Center, expressing just how important it is that criminal defense lawyers in particular have the skills and experience to be true advocates. Sotomayor—along with other justices such as Kagan—have specifically made… Read More »
Major Civil Rights Case Argued In Of U.S. Supreme Court
On December 5th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that will be monumental for civil rights: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case involves a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a couple who was getting married because the couple was homosexual. While arguments indicated that… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court to Review Using Cell Phone Data under Fourth Amendment
We’ve previously discussed police using cell phones and data to track people during a criminal investigation and what your Fourth Amendment rights are within that context. Fortunately, courts have historically ruled that obtaining cell phone location data to track someone’s movement constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, and law enforcement thus first needs… Read More »
Civil Rights/Discrimination Case to Be Heard By Supreme Court Will Have Far Reach
A case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall will have broad repercussions for civil rights; specifically, in examining whether the U.S. Constitution provides individuals with a right to discriminate in violation of the laws that apply to public accommodation; laws that govern businesses which are open to the public…. Read More »
Supreme Court Rules Prosecutors Violated Constitution in Striking all Blacks from Jury
The ABA Journal reports that the Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of a Georgia death-row inmate who argued that prosecutors at his criminal trial violated his Constitutional rights when they eliminated all prospective black jurors from the jury pool in his case. In Foster v. Chatman, the Court found that prosecutors’ use of… Read More »
Florida Inmate’s Supreme Court Case Could Result in Hundreds Freed
In June, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Armed Career Criminals Act, a federal law that enhances the sentence for an illegal gun conviction if the defendant has at least three prior convictions for violent felonies. Thereafter, Florida prison inmate Gregory Welch, who had been sentenced under the Act… Read More »
Supreme Court Invalidates Florida’s Death Penalty System
Despite growing concerns over its fairness and constitutionality, just over half of U.S. states, including Florida, still have the death penalty for those convicted of certain crimes. According to an NPR story, Florida holds the dubious distinction of being the state with the second-highest number of death row inmates, at 390. But in early… Read More »
