The Ohio Sixth Appellate District Court has affirmed the dismissal of a motion filed by Todd Plassman, who sought to overturn sentences imposed over three decades ago, ruling that his filing was an untimely post-conviction petition that failed to meet strict statutory exceptions. The ruling centers on procedural deadlines, effectively…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s decision to accept Jerome Brown’s guilty plea, despite acknowledging that the District Judge improperly involved himself in the plea bargaining process. While the court found a clear violation of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, it…

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that individuals whose drug possession convictions were overturned following the landmark *State v. Blake* decision are not entitled to state reimbursement for the value of community service hours used to satisfy their court-imposed financial obligations (LFOs). The denial of reimbursement for this labor, unlike…

The North Carolina Supreme Court has reversed a lower court’s decision, ruling that a trial judge had the authority during resentencing to decide whether ancillary robbery and conspiracy sentences should run consecutively or concurrently with the new murder sentences. The ruling reinstates the 2023 judgments, which had set the defendant’s…

The North Carolina Supreme Court has affirmed a conviction for possession of a stolen firearm, ruling that the State presented “substantial evidence” that the defendant knew or reasonably should have known the weapon was stolen. The decision hinged on interpreting the totality of the defendant’s actions—including an extreme police chase…

The North Carolina Supreme Court has overturned a second-degree murder conviction, ruling that the trial court gave the jury legally flawed instructions regarding the state’s “castle doctrine” defense. The high court found that the errors were fundamental and likely caused the jury to convict the defendant based on conduct the…

The Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s decision to send a mother, Brooklynne Rae Davis, to trial on a charge of first-degree child abuse, ruling that the prosecution did not need to show an affirmative act of harm. Instead, the court found that severe, prolonged neglect—specifically the…

A federal district court in Washington D.C. has sided with attorney and law professor Daniel Richman, ruling that the U.S. government violated his Fourth Amendment rights by retaining and subsequently searching his personal electronic files without a warrant years after the initial investigation concluded. The ruling grants Richman’s motion under…