Complete Story
Criminal Justice News This Week (week of 01-28-20)
Lawmakers should adopt bail changes urged by the Ohio Supreme Court. “All Ohioans who care about justice should support reforms aimed both at reducing unnecessary jail costs and at making sure that those awaiting their day in court don’t languish in jail -- risking loss of jobs and family stability -- just because they can’t afford cash bail.”)
Judge deals blow to woman charged for being topless at home. “A judge refused to overturn part of Utah’s lewdness law Tuesday in a blow to a woman who’s fighting criminal charges after her stepchildren saw her topless in her own home. *** If convicted, she could face jail time and be forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years.”
WOSU: Some Push To Change State Laws That Require HIV Disclosure To Sexual Partners. "In more than 30 states, it is illegal for someone with HIV to have sex without first disclosing their status. Some are now pushing to change that, arguing that the laws are actually endangering public health."
Tattoo Removal Programs Help Former Inmates Wipe The Slate Clean. "Tattoos can be a barrier for people getting out of prison. They can make it hard to find jobs, to feel safe in certain neighborhoods, to reconcile with family and to leave the past behind. Now there are programs to help inmates with tattoos wipe the slate clean."
Defense challenges use of Google location data from everyone in vicinity of Hull Street Road bank robbery. "A groundbreaking Fourth Amendment challenge with national implications is brewing in federal court in Richmond over a search warrant for Google data in a $195,000 bank robbery case. Authorities used a 'geofence' warrant to obtain Google location history data that led to the identification of Okello T. Chatrie, 24, as a suspect in the takeover-style armed robbery of the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian in May….”
'Private Enclave'? Supreme Court Deciding Whether Cellphone Passcodes Are Protected. “The case ‘could cause the court to diverge on constitutional amendments’ and have a seminal impact, Justice Barry Albin said during the arguments at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton.”
Ohio bill would reimburse tuition for public defenders to fight shortage. “A shortage of public defenders in Ohio’s courtrooms could cost taxpayers and the people they’re representing if a solution isn’t found soon. 19 News found state lawmakers are considering paying back law school tuition to try to change that. The goal of Ohio House Bill 5 is to recruit public defense attorneys and keep them once they’re here."
Pharmaceutical Executive John Kapoor Sentenced To 66 Months In Prison In Opioid Trial. "Former billionaire and pharmaceutical executive John Kapoor has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison. His sentencing is the culmination of a months-long criminal trial in Boston's Moakley U.S. Courthouse that resulted in the first successful prosecution of pharmaceutical executives tied to the opioid epidemic."
Ohio judge says he relies on a hunch to call ICE when he suspects defendants are undocumented. "A veteran Ohio trial court judge is fielding criticism after he told multiple news outlets in Cincinnati that he calls up Immigration and Customs Enforcement when he suspects a defendant in his Hamilton County courtroom may be undocumented. Judge Robert Ruehlman acknowledged he’s acting on a hunch when he makes the call to ICE. He focuses on people who need interpreters or speak Spanish, have international connections or are accused of serious drug crimes."
