The danger of ever-expanding DNA databases
South Carolina recently passed a law which allows law enforcement to collect DNA samples from persons who have been arrested for felonies and some misdemeanors, regardless of whether they are convicted...
View ArticleTime-keeping
We use Defender Data for case management in our office, and it is nearly perfect for a criminal defense practice. It does everything that I need, except for time-keeping. Because it was designed for...
View ArticleClear error for trial judge to exclude testimony regarding Spect scan
in State v. Mercer, the S.C. Supreme Court holds that it is “clear error” for the trial judge to exclude testimony that a Spect scan revealed an abnormality in the defendant’s brain during the penalty...
View ArticleImpeachment by IPod
The standard method of impeachment by prior inconsistent statement is to have documents organized and tabbed, ready to impeach if the witness does not admit to the statement you are confronting him or...
View ArticleThe new age of internet sleuthing
I am still amazed by the internet and specifically Facebook, and I believe that it has changed our experience of the world and life like nothing else since the invention of the telephone. Social...
View ArticleThe future of law enforcement
Unmanned drones, currently used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq and on the borders with Mexico and Canada, for surveillance, to blow things up, and for assassinations, are being studied...
View ArticleCell phone tracking by police is now routine
According to an article published yesterday in the NY Times citing thousands of documents obtained by the ACLU from 205 police departments nationwide, cell phone tracking by police departments across...
View Articlethe Real CSI
It’s taken a few months for me to get around to watching this; but it is definitely worth watching for any criminal defense lawyer or anyone interested in the criminal justice system. A report by...
View ArticleDOJ and FBI will review thousands of convictions for flawed forensic evidence
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Justice Department and FBI will review thousands of cases to determine whether any defendants were wrongfully convicted as a result of flawed forensic...
View ArticleWhen Is Brain Damage a Valid Defense?
In Winkler v. State, the S.C. Supreme Court reversed and remanded a capital murder defendant’s case so that his attorneys will have time to investigate and present evidence of possible brain damage in...
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