Browse rulings by topic

Criminal Defense Resources™ groups each ruling by the legal issue it covers. Pick a topic to see plain-English summaries.

• Self-Representation & Right to Counsel (Faretta)

  Rulings about the right to a lawyer, the right to go pro per/pro se, Faretta waivers, standby counsel, and who controls key decisions in a defense.

  8 rulings

• Speedy Trial

  Rulings about the constitutional right to a speedy trial and how courts judge delay.

  2 rulings

• Discovery & Brady Evidence

  Rulings about the prosecution's duty to disclose evidence that is favorable to the defense, including evidence that affects a witness's credibility.

  4 rulings

• Search & Seizure (Fourth Amendment)

  Rulings about searches of homes, cars, phones, and digital records, warrants, consent, and when evidence may be suppressed.

  24 rulings

• Miranda & Police Questioning

  Rulings about Miranda warnings, custodial interrogation, asking for a lawyer, and voluntary statements.

  5 rulings

• Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

  Rulings about the standard for claims that a defense lawyer's work fell below constitutional requirements.

  5 rulings

• Sentencing

  Rulings about jury findings at sentencing, sentence enhancements, capital sentencing, and juvenile sentencing.

  5 rulings

• Bail & Pretrial Release

  Rulings about bail amounts, pretrial detention, and when a person may be held without bail before trial.

  4 rulings

• Confronting Witnesses (Confrontation Clause)

  Rulings about the Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine the witnesses against you, including when out-of-court statements can be used at trial.

  1 rulings

• Eyewitness Identification (Lineups & Photo IDs)

  Rulings about lineups, photo arrays, show-ups, suggestive identification procedures, and how courts judge whether an eyewitness identification is reliable.

  5 rulings

• GPS & Location Tracking Devices

  Rulings about beepers, GPS trackers on cars, and GPS monitors on people.

  4 rulings

• Cell-Site Location Data (Phone Location Records)

  Rulings about police getting phone location records from carriers or tech companies, and when a warrant is required.

  6 rulings

• Tower Dumps

  A "tower dump" is a download of information about every phone that connected to a cell tower during a period of time. The U.S. Supreme Court has expressly left this question open. We list rulings here only after verifying them; more decisions will be added as they are confirmed.

  1 rulings

• Geofence Warrants

  Rulings about warrants that ask a company such as Google for location data on every device inside a set area during a set time.

  4 rulings

• DNA Evidence & Testing

  Rulings about DNA collection at arrest and access to DNA testing after a conviction.

  3 rulings

• Cell-Site Simulators (Stingrays)

  Rulings about devices, often called Stingrays, that imitate cell towers so police can locate or track a phone.

  2 rulings