Puerto Rico Case Commentaries

Qualified Immunity for Arrest-Injury During Attempted Warrantless Home Entry Requires Fact-Pattern “Particularized” Excessive-Force Precedent

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Qualified Immunity for Arrest-Injury During Attempted Warrantless Home Entry Requires Fact-Pattern “Particularized” Excessive-Force Precedent 1. Introduction Dana Little v. City of Owensboro,...

Background-Investigation Evidence in Drug Conspiracies and “Good Cause” Limits on Substituting Appointed Counsel

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Background-Investigation Evidence in Drug Conspiracies and “Good Cause” Limits on Substituting Appointed Counsel I. Introduction United States v. Freddie Sanchez (6th Cir. June 29, 2026) arises from...

United States v. Freddie Sanchez: “Background Evidence” Outside Rule 404(b) in Drug Conspiracy Trials and the “Good Cause” Threshold for Substituting Appointed Counsel

Date: Jul 4, 2026

United States v. Freddie Sanchez: “Background Evidence” Outside Rule 404(b) in Drug Conspiracy Trials and the “Good Cause” Threshold for Substituting Appointed Counsel 1. Introduction In United...

Sovereign-Citizen-Style Filings Do Not Trigger Renewed Faretta or Competency Proceedings Absent a “Deeper Breakdown in Cognitive Ability”

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Sovereign-Citizen-Style Filings Do Not Trigger Renewed Faretta or Competency Proceedings Absent a “Deeper Breakdown in Cognitive Ability” Introduction In United States v. Lorin Kal Buckner (6th Cir....

Rule 32.2(b)(4)(B) Is a Time-Related Directive: Late-Imposed Forfeiture Is Reviewed for Harmless Error (and Usually Won’t Be Vacated Absent Prejudice)

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Rule 32.2(b)(4)(B) Is a Time-Related Directive: Late-Imposed Forfeiture Is Reviewed for Harmless Error (and Usually Won’t Be Vacated Absent Prejudice) Case: United States v. Jeremy Wayne Harrell (No....

Post-Ruan CSA Prosecutions: Objective “Legitimate Medical Purpose/Usual Course” Criteria Remain Valid, and Masked Witness Testimony Is Not Plain Error Absent Prejudice

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Post-Ruan CSA Prosecutions: Objective “Legitimate Medical Purpose/Usual Course” Criteria Remain Valid, and Masked Witness Testimony Is Not Plain Error Absent Prejudice Case: United States v. Bernard...

Smucker v. ACE: Under Ohio’s “Cause” Test, a Product-Contamination Event Is One Occurrence; Ambiguous Lot Endorsements Do Not Multiply Retained Limits

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Smucker v. ACE: Under Ohio’s “Cause” Test, a Product-Contamination Event Is One Occurrence; Ambiguous Lot Endorsements Do Not Multiply Retained Limits Case: The J.M. Smucker Company v. Ace American...

Police Liability for Self-Help Residential Evictions Based on Estate Papers Without Court Process: Active Participation Constitutes an Unreasonable Fourth Amendment Seizure

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Police Liability for Self-Help Residential Evictions Based on Estate Papers Without Court Process: Active Participation Constitutes an Unreasonable Fourth Amendment Seizure 1. Introduction Mary Ann...

Potential-Claim Notice Must Be Given During the Policy Period, Not the Extended Reporting Period, to Preserve Coverage Under a Claims-Made Legal-Malpractice Policy (Sixth Circuit, Michigan Law)

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Potential-Claim Notice Must Be Given During the Policy Period, Not the Extended Reporting Period, to Preserve Coverage Under a Claims-Made Legal-Malpractice Policy (Sixth Circuit, Michigan Law) 1....

State v. Lee: Mandatory N.J.R.E. 104 Reliability Hearings for Challenged Fingerprint (ACE-V) Evidence Under Olenowski I

Date: Jul 4, 2026

State v. Lee: Mandatory N.J.R.E. 104 Reliability Hearings for Challenged Fingerprint (ACE-V) Evidence Under Olenowski I 1. Introduction In State v. French G. Lee (N.J. June 29, 2026), the Supreme...

Ultra Vires Limits on the Council on Local Mandates: Judicial Review Permitted and “Nugatory” Declarations Beyond the Mandate Are Invalid

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Ultra Vires Limits on the Council on Local Mandates: Judicial Review Permitted and “Nugatory” Declarations Beyond the Mandate Are Invalid Case: Rebecca J. Reed v. Elizabeth M. Muoio (Supreme Court of...

Section 48-188 Treats Filed Workers’ Compensation Awards as District Court Judgments for “All Proceedings,” Including Equitable Vacatur Actions

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Section 48-188 Treats Filed Workers’ Compensation Awards as District Court Judgments for “All Proceedings,” Including Equitable Vacatur Actions Case: 1 Cono Contracting v. Lopez, 321 Neb. 728 (July...

APA Judicial Review in Nebraska: Statement-of-Errors Rule Inapplicable; Issues Must Be Pleaded in the Petition for Review

Date: Jul 4, 2026

APA Judicial Review in Nebraska: Statement-of-Errors Rule Inapplicable; Issues Must Be Pleaded in the Petition for Review 1. Introduction In Gay v. Board of Engineers & Architects, 321 Neb. 712 (July...

Repeated Armed Extortion and Threats Without Physical Harm May Not Compel a Finding of “Past Persecution” Under Substantial-Evidence Review

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Repeated Armed Extortion and Threats Without Physical Harm May Not Compel a Finding of “Past Persecution” Under Substantial-Evidence Review 1. Introduction In Carrasco-Aguilar v. Blanche (5th Cir....

State v. Ovalle: “In the Commission of” Felony Murder Turns on the Defendant’s Causative Conduct, Not the Victim’s Post-Felony Acts

Date: Jul 4, 2026

State v. Ovalle: “In the Commission of” Felony Murder Turns on the Defendant’s Causative Conduct, Not the Victim’s Post-Felony Acts 1. Introduction In State v. Ovalle (Supreme Court of Georgia, June...

State v. Postell: Self-Defense Admissibility of Victim-Violence Evidence Under Georgia’s Current Evidence Code

Date: Jul 4, 2026

State v. Postell (Ga. June 30, 2026): In Self-Defense Cases, Victim’s Violent Reputation/Opinion and Defendant-Known Specific Violent Acts Are Admissible; Categorical “Character Evidence” Exclusion...

Colorado Single-Subject Rule: Mid-Decade Redistricting Authorization Cannot Be Bundled with Adoption of a Specific Congressional Map

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Colorado Single-Subject Rule: Mid-Decade Redistricting Authorization Cannot Be Bundled with Adoption of a Specific Congressional Map Case: Williams v. Nathan (In re Title, Ballot Title, & Submission...

Dilworth v. Tucker — Qualified Immunity Requires Factually Similar, Published Authority

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Qualified Immunity in Fourth Amendment Arrest/Force Cases: General Excessive-Force Principles and Unpublished Decisions Do Not “Clearly Establish” Illegality Without Factually Similar, Controlling...

Seventh Amendment Requires a Jury for FDCA/TCA Civil-Penalty Enforcement Against Vape Sellers

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Seventh Amendment Requires a Jury for FDCA/TCA Civil-Penalty Enforcement Against Vape Sellers (Limiting the Public-Rights Exception) Case: Texas Tobacco Barn v. HHS Court: United States Court of...

§ 1782 Protective Orders Must Honor Outside-Counsel-Only Contractual Confidentiality Absent a Definitive Foreign-Law Mandate

Date: Jul 4, 2026

§ 1782 Protective Orders Must Honor Outside-Counsel-Only Contractual Confidentiality Absent a Definitive Foreign-Law Mandate I. Introduction In Apple Inc. v. Key Patent Innovations (5th Cir. June 30,...