Former Texas prosecutor Charles Sebesta has been disbarred due to his acts in a case against Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison, 12 of those years on death row. Graves was convicted of setting a fire that killed six people. There was no physical evidence that linked Graves to the crime. Another man who …
Supreme Court decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana
With the United States Supreme Court decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana, making Miller v. Alabama retroactive, the Court held that states must hold re-sentencing hearings or extend parole eligibility to juvenile homicide offenders who were sentenced to mandatory life in prison. In Justice Kennedy’s words, “The opportunity for release will be afforded to those who demonstrate the truth …
Chemerinsky: The best, worst and most surprising SCOTUS opinions of 2015
Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean of the School of Law at University of California, Irvine. He provided his thoughts on the most notable U.S. Supreme Court opinions in 2015. In the past, Chemerinsky has been critical of the Supreme Court, as chronicled in his book, “The Case Against the Supreme Court.” He discusses and explains the most …
PA Judge Who Sold Juveniles to Jails Gets 28 Years in Prison
A judge in Pennsylvania judge was convicted of sending kids to juvenile detention in return for cash. His sentence was for 28 years after it was determined he took over 1 million dollars in bribes, reported by NPR. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out over 4000 cases that took place between 2003 and 2008. It was …
Santae Tribble cleared in 1978 murder based on DNA hair test
Santae Tribble was convicted of killing a cab driver in 1978 because of a supposed matched hair in a stocking cap. The killer was wearing a stocking cap that was obtained by the police, and after DNA tests it was determined one hair was Tribble’s. After 28 years he finally was exonerated due to findings in July …
Supreme Court Takes On Racial Discrimination In Jury Selection
The Supreme Court is addressing race discrimination in the selection of jurors. Prospective jurors normally are questioned by the prosecution and defense lawyers. They typically are removed “for cause,” which means they are unable to be impartial. Both sides also have the ability to remove jurors without stating a reason, but sometimes a reason for removing …
Branstad: State will investigate wrongful convictions
Governor Branstad acknowledged that “in a system run by humans, mistakes can be made,” even with confidence in Iowa’s legal system. A unit is being established to review potential wrongful convictions and provide a legal remedy. Convicted felons have been able to appeal their conviction in court, but a new unit will provide additional resources. …
SUPREME COURT: COPS CAN ENTER HOME WITHOUT WARRANT
The Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote is choosing to allow police officers to enter homes without a warrant. “When occupants of a residence disagree on whether they will admit police without a warrant, the objecting occupant must be physically present. That doesn’t change if police have removed the objector…”. Although their was a majority vote supporting …
Iowa’s open records law on body camera footage murky, expert says
A panel discussion was hosted by The Des Moines Register and the Iowa Newspaper Association to discuss Iowa’s open record laws and how they will affect police body camera footage. The laws in place are too broad and not specific enough on what is to be done with the footage. The democratic senator from Waterloo Danielson …
Law removing felons’ voting rights is upheld
In 2013 Kelli Jo Griffin of Montrose tried to cast her vote on a city election and was charged with perjury for registering to vote as a felon. In 2008 she obtained a felony for cocaine delivery. The jury determined in 2013 that she made an honest mistake when registering to vote. A policy that was established in …
Apartments Downtown appeals class action suit
The largest property management company in Iowa City, Apartments Downtown, has filed an appeal with the Iowa Supreme Court asking for a reversal of a July district court ruling that deemed lease provisions used by the landlord illegal and approved a class-action suit filed by former tenants. A district court judge agreed with the former tenants that …
Automated license plate readers coming to Cedar Rapids
There will soon be two squad cars in Cedar Rapids with automatic license plate readers. This means that any plate they drive by will be scanned and will alert them if the car has been stole, the person is wanted for a crime, driving without a license and etc. The goal behind the scanners is …