Peter J. Schaffer

There are few things as revealing as a person's search history, and police typically need a warrant on a known suspect to demand that sensitive information. But a recently unsealed court document found that investigators can request such data in reverse order by asking Google to disclose everyone who searched a keyword rather than for information on a known suspect. https://cnet.co/3iSOu64

There were 145 offenders released in 2019 about five times more than the year before, when 24 people were granted release, according to a report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. https://cbsn.ws/2GZxrSx

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers up another reason we need to get rid of COVID-19: reckless driving is up, and causing more deaths. https://bit.ly/3liXVgx

Police dogs bite thousands of Americans each year, including innocent bystanders, police officers, even their own handlers. And there is little oversight, nationally or in the states, of how police departments use them. https://bit.ly/2SwRHgR

Nationwide, jail populations plunged by about 25% between March and June, according to a recent analysis. https://bit.ly/3lode7Z

#AutoAccidents are chaotic by nature, and the aftermath can be, too. Have your camera ready and be prepared to file a police report.

Health care workers may make more mistakes in the days following the switch to daylight saving time in the spring, according to a new report. https://nyti.ms/3mAEXni

The nation is grappling with a pedestrian safety crisis that has worsened in recent years: The number of pedestrians killed in the U.S. hit a 28-year high of 6,283 in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That figure was up 46% from 2010. https://bit.ly/32IkZPu

A person who is formally accused of a crime is generally entitled to certain evidence and information about the prosecution's case. This typically happens before trial, through a process called "discovery." But the prosecution's duty to disclose this material is usually ongoing, and doesn't end when a trial has begun. #CriminalLaw

Police and prosecutor misconduct that distorted evidence or undercut innocence contributed to 54% of false convictions that later resulted in exonerations, according to a report released Tuesday. https://bit.ly/32K5hDv

A growing number of states and localities are exploring new ways to reduce or eliminate reduce or eliminate pretextual or pretext traffic stops. In a pretext stop, an officer pulls over a motorist for a minor traffic or equipment violation and then uses the stop to investigate a more serious crime. https://bit.ly/2Z3FQdO

Police increasingly ask Google and other tech firms for data about who was where, when. Two judges ruled the investigative tool invalid in a Chicago case. https://bit.ly/3lV8kR0

After months of closures, many of the country’s court systems are gradually reopening, having embraced technologies such as Zoom and YouTube to safely hold pleas, sentencings and even Supreme Court hearings. But the jury trial, which most feel can only happen in person, has remained largely stalled. https://wapo.st/3gFdzjR