“Knock and Talk” Okay, Despite “No Trespassing” Signage
“No Trespassing” signs do not per se prevent officers from conducting a knock and talk at a residence.
Russian Banker Falls for FBI Trap, Pleads Guilty to Spy Charges
In what sounds like the plotline for a Cold War-era movie, 41-year-old Evgeny Buryakov pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered intelligence agent of the Russian Federation.
Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Brunkow Receives February 2016 Officer of the Month Award
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has selected Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Brunkow, of the Boulder County (CO) Sheriff’s Office, as the recipient of its Officer of the Month Award for February 2016.
Even with a Diminished Expectation of Privacy, Suspicionless Searches of a Probationer’s Phone Found Unreasonable
The Ninth Circuit recently held that a probationer’s Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures was violated when probation officers conducted suspicionless searches of his cell phone.
Conversations on Law Enforcement: An Evening with Charles H. Ramsey
The evening of February 10, 2016, was filled with many stories, enough to fill a 47-year law enforcement career. Nearly 180 people gathered at the U.S. Navy Memorial’s Burke Theatre in Washington, DC, for the National Law Enforcement Museum’s third installment of its Conversations on Law Enforcement discussion series, featuring Commissioner Charles Ramsey.
Feds Indict Bundy, 18 Others over 2014 Ranch Standoff
Last week, a federal grand jury expanded an indictment originally filed against Cliven Bundy, bringing the total number of defendants to 19.
Federal Agents Protected after Claims of Excessive Force and Unreasonable Seizure Made by Bottling Company and Its Employees
A bottling company and its employees recently brought Bivens claims against federals agents for violating their Fourth Amendment rights when executing a white collar search warrant. The Eighth Circuit held that the agents’ actions were reasonable.
Cyberstalker Gets 10 Years in Prison
Cyberstalking is a serious crime that comes with a serious sentence. 31-year-old Tallahassee, Florida resident, Michael Daniel Rubens, earned himself 10 years in prison for stalking several women online over the past three years and hacking into their social media accounts where he posted pornographic images of them.
Improving Design Standards Across Government
With the introduction of the U.S. Web Design Standards and similar initiatives, federal agencies are putting a greater emphasis than ever on creating the best digital versions of themselves. Yet the designers responsible for creating these experiences have felt like individual islands with little connection to counterparts at other agencies.
Officer’s Use of English Was Not Coercive, Says Fifth Circuit
The Fifth Circuit recently concluded that an officer’s use of English to ask a suspect with a language barrier for consent was not coercive.
Former U.S. Postal Worker Stole Identities, Gets 5 Years in Prison
A former U.S. Postal Service employee was sentenced to prison Wednesday for her involvement in a $1.5 million stolen identity refund fraud conspiracy.
Grant of Qualified Immunity Reversed in § 1983 Claim of Excessive Force and Denial of Medical Care
The First Circuit reversed a grant of summary judgment on a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim of excessive force, supervisory liability, and denial of medical care in violation of defendant’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Two Men Get 15 Years in Prison for Torturing Gay Black Man
Two Texas men were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Wednesday after being convicted of brutal hate crimes against a gay African-American man in Corpus Christi, TX.
Former Federal Prosecutors Discuss Law Enforcement Liability Exposure
“Big cases, big problems. Little cases, little problems. No cases, no problems. If you are a federal law enforcement official, you have heard this anecdotal expression often enough to know that it contains more than a kernel of truth.
Legislative Proposals on Whistleblowers and Inspectors General
Whistleblowers and Inspectors General are a popular lot on Capitol Hill, since they identify issues large and small at agencies. As like any human being, sometimes the two make mistakes – and those mistakes can have huge implications for employees, agencies, and government policy.
Police Officer Michael Keane Receives January 2016 Officer of the Month Award
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has selected Police Officer Michael Keane, of the Lyndhurst (NJ) Police Department, as the recipient of its Officer of the Month Award for January 2016.
Sixth Circuit: Continuous, Warrantless Fixed-Point Surveillance Okay
Ten weeks of continuous, warrantless surveillance from a public utility pole did not violate a defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights, the Sixth Circuit held.
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Secures Landmark Financing to Build National Law Enforcement Museum
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) announced today that it has successfully secured tax-exempt bond financing to build the first national museum to tell the story of American law enforcement.
Developing and Engaging the Workforce with FMA
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) will host its 78th annual National Convention & Management Training Seminar from March 13 – 16 of this year.
Agents’ Failure to Provide Sufficient Notice of Warrant Did Not Violate the Fourth Amendment
The Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently held that the procedural violations of FBI agents in failing to provide sufficient notice of a warrant did not violate a defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights.