Court Rules San Diego’s Vulgar Speech Ordinance Doesn’t Override First Amendment Rights

EDITORIAL
By Robert Phillips  
Deputy District Attorney (ret.)  

I’ve been preaching for years that law enforcement officers must have a thick skin in those circumstances where a…

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Federal Appeals Court Declares Geofence Warrants Unconstitutional; California Courts' Decisions Remain Valid

The Constitutionality of Geofence Warrants debated:   

On August 9th, the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in United States v. Smith (5th Cir. Aug. 9, 2024) __ F.4th __ [2024 U.S.App. LEXIS 20149], ruled that “geofence” warrants (…

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Ninth Circuit Revisits Police Use of Deadly Force in Shooting of Man with Boxcutter

By Robert Phillips
Deputy District Attorney (Ret).

Estate of Hernandez v. City of Los Angeles (9th Cir. Mar. 21, 2024) 96 F.4th 1209:

I previously briefed this “use of deadly force” case (See California Legal Update, Vol. 29…

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