The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the convictions and sentence of former Illinois state legislator Annazette Collins, who was found guilty of failing to file tax returns and making false statements on her tax returns. Collins had appealed her case, arguing insufficient evidence of willfulness and errors in…
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Court Overturns DUI Sentence Based on Missing Proof of Prior Convictions
The Nebraska Supreme Court has vacated the sentence imposed on Cristian E. Gonzalez Molina for a third-offense Driving Under the Influence (DUI), concluding that the lower courts made a significant error by affirming the enhanced sentence without any evidence of Molina’s prior convictions being formally presented or admitted into the…
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Vermont Supreme Court Reverses Child Abuse Conviction Over Witness Confrontation Rights
The Vermont Supreme Court has overturned a conviction for lewd or lascivious conduct with a child, ruling that the trial court improperly allowed the young complainant to testify remotely, away from the defendant’s presence, violating the defendant’s constitutional right to confrontation. The Court found the evidence used to justify this…
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DUI Suspect Loses Bid to Suppress Blood Test After Withdrawing Consent Days Later
In a significant ruling for DUI enforcement in Georgia, the Court of Appeals has affirmed a trial court’s decision allowing the use of blood test results against a driver who attempted to revoke his consent to the test several days after the sample had already been drawn. The ruling solidifies…
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Alabama Court Reverses Victim Compensation Denial, Citing Agency’s Narrow Reading of “Criminally Injurious Conduct”
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has stepped in on a dispute over crime victim compensation, siding with a brother whose claim for his sister’s funeral expenses was denied by the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission (ACVCC). The appellate court ruled that the ACVCC’s decision—which hinged on a very narrow…
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Trump Officials and New York Authorities Cleared as Court Dismisses “Fake Prosecution” Suit
A federal judge in Washington D.C. has dismissed a sweeping lawsuit filed by a New York resident who claimed she was the victim of a vast conspiracy involving state, city, and federal officials to pursue a baseless misdemeanor criminal case against her. The court found it lacked the authority to…
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Second Circuit Voids Third Illegal Reentry Charge, Citing Tainted Original Deportation Order
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a significant ruling that provides a critical defense pathway for individuals facing criminal charges for illegal reentry following a prior, flawed deportation order. In a decision released in December 2025, the court overturned the conviction of Lepido Ramirez Rodriguez, finding that subsequent…
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Tenth Circuit Upholds Traffic Stop Used to Uncover Major Drug Conspiracy
A recent ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence, concluding that Kansas Highway Patrol troopers had sufficient legal grounds both to initiate and to briefly extend a traffic stop that ultimately led to the discovery of fentanyl and cocaine.…
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Fischer’s Conviction Overturned: Court Cites State’s Failure to Follow Lab Report Rules
The Indiana Court of Appeals has partially reversed the conviction of Taylor Mitchell Fischer, finding that the trial court made a reversible error by admitting crucial toxicology evidence due to the State failing to adhere to specific statutory requirements for introducing laboratory reports. Fischer was convicted of several offenses related…
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Speeding Ticket Appeal Dismissed: Defendant Waived Right to Challenge Pre-Trial Issues with No Contest Plea
The Intermediate Court of Appeals of the State of Hawai‘i has affirmed the judgment against Kenneth Edward Texeira, effectively dismissing his appeal which raised fifteen separate points of error concerning pre-trial rulings and procedural issues related to his traffic violation case. The court’s decision hinged on a fundamental rule of…