2013

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution gives all Americans protections against unwarranted search and seizure of their person and their property. At the core of this Amendment is the belief that innocent people should not have to fear for their privacy in personal spaces like their homes. However, sometimes law enforcement officials...

Two high-profile cases of severe misconduct at state crime labs made headlines during 2012, raising concerns about a sector of the criminal justice system that is often ignored despite being frighteningly underregulated. One technician failed to identify and test significant DNA evidence in rape kits, leading to a review of over 800 cases in...

The Colorado Supreme Court recently made a significant change to rules regarding how confessions are treated in criminal proceedings. Prosecutors once needed to provide proof that a crime had occurred in addition to the confession. However, now that will not be necessary if the court finds the confession to be trustworthy.In future criminal cases,...

In November Colorado voters approved Amendment 64, which made it legal for adults over 21 to possess and use small quantities of marijuana for recreational use. In response to the new law, Colorado is considering new DUI standards for THC and prosecutors are dropping many drug offense charges. However, Colorado is not the only state affected...

A Colorado soldier has been arrested in Alabama for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl. According to police, he coaxed her into his vehicle after she got off the school bus, assaulted and then abandoned. Now he faces charges outside of his home state.This case illustrates how national sex offender registries and DNA databases are...