probable cause
Judge: Police Lacked Probable Cause in Immigrant Smuggling Case
A 911 call reporting four men in a car near the U.S.-Mexico border had littered did not give police grounds to arrest the driver on suspicion of smuggling undocumented immigrants, a federal judge ruled, granting the driver’s motion to suppress.
Read moreCase of Bungled Pot Raid on Tomato-Loving Family Revived Anew
The bizarre case of a Kansas sheriff’s department that mistook tomato plants and loose-leaf tea for evidence of a marijuana grow and accordingly launched a SWAT-style raid on an innocent suburban family will return to a lower court for a third crack at a judgment.
Read moreTwin Peaks Shootout
A federal court in Texas ruled that a group of bikers arrested in conjunction with a deadly shootout at a Waco Twin Peaks restaurant may proceed with part of their civil rights suit against law enforcement officials relating to arrest warrants obtained based on a “fill-in-the-name” affidavit that the bikers claim lacked probable cause.
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Privacy Groups Aghast Over Warrant Tied to Link Click
A Fourth Circuit ruling that backs the search of a man for child porn based solely on evidence that he clicked a single link in the dark reaches of the web is stirring outrage.
Read moreProbable Cause Supported Festival Arrest, High Court Rules
A festival goer who says his cheeky confrontation with police got him arrested later that day on trumped-up charges lost his case Tuesday at the Supreme Court.
Read moreAnti-Abortion Protester Challenges Arrest at Sixth Circuit
An anti-abortion protester detained for over two days after she allegedly made bomb threats outside a Michigan abortion clinic argued on Wednesday before the Sixth Circuit there was no probable cause for officers to arrest her.
Read moreCivil Rights
A federal magistrate judge granted summary judgment to courtroom observers arrested for disorderly conduct, since taking pictures of trial participants as they left the courtroom did not constitute probable cause for arrest.
Read moreNinth Circuit OKs Cellphone GPS Data in Murder Case
A divided Ninth Circuit ruled Monday that federal prosecutors can use a San Francisco man’s cellphone-location data to try him for the murder of his young sister’s pimp even though the data were illegally obtained.
Read moreMinnesota Officer Who Shot Unarmed Woman Will Face Trial
A Minnesota judge found Thursday “probable cause” to advance charges against a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed Australian woman.
Read moreProbable Cause for Arrest Does Not Bar Retaliation Claim
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday held that the existence of probable cause for the arrest of a Florida gadfly at a City Council meeting does not bar his pursuit of a First Amendment retaliation claim against the body.
Read moreMen Lobby Judge to Advance Suit Over Botched Gang Arrests
Did officers have probable cause to arrest and incarcerate two men for gang murders they didn’t commit? A federal judge heard arguments Tuesday on why he should toss a gang conspiracy case where the San Diego District Attorney’s Office botched a new legal theory over an obscure gang law.
Read moreHigh Court Sides With Police on Bust of DC House Party
The Supreme Court threw out a $1 million probable-cause verdict Monday for attendees of a raucous house party that was busted by police.
Read moreJustices Don Party Hats for Raucous Trespass Case
The nature of modern house parties dominated lively Supreme Court oral arguments on Wednesday as the justices considered whether police officers had probable cause to make trespassing arrests.
Read morePA Officials Rapped on Overdose-Immunity Law
Rushed to the hospital for a heroin overdose, a Pennsylvania woman claims in a federal complaint that officials flouted a year-old overdose-immunity law by trying to prosecute her.
Read moreAlabama Governor Could Face Charges in Affair Probe
After a year-long investigation, the Alabama Ethics Commission found probable cause that Gov. Robert Bentley violated state ethics and campaign finance laws through an alleged affair with a former staffer.
Read moreJudge Finds Probable Cause Against Christie for Traffic Plot
A second chance at bat for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie failed to snuff out potential charges for his role in the Bridgegate scandal after a judge found probable cause Thursday.
Read moreN.J. Court Orders Probable-Cause Docs Released
New Jersey’s appeals court ruled Wednesday that defendants must be allowed to review documents used to establish probable cause, modifying the state’s new bail reform law.
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