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Students from a strict Mormon university that prohibits "homosexual behavior" have launched a Web video aimed at reassuring other gay and lesbian youth struggling with their faith and sexual orientation.

The video recently posted to YouTube by 22 Brigham Young University students is the first of its kind with ties ...

SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas (AP) — One person was killed and three others wounded in a shooting Saturday during a packed beach party on the Texas Gulf Coast, authorities said.

Brazoria County Sheriff Charles Wagner told the Facts newspaper that he had no immediate identification of those involved in the shooting ...

The trial court’s order denying the motion to suppress erroneously put the burden of proof on the defendant to show that a warrantless search was unreasonable. Briggs v. State, 2012 Ark. App. 226, 2012 Ark. App. LEXIS 341 (April 4, 2012):

In so holding, the trial court erred as a matter of law by impermissibly shifting the burden of proof. See Danner v. Discover Bank, 99 Ark. App. 71, 257 S.W.3d 113 (2007). The grounds asserted by appellant, i.e., lack of consent, were presumptively true because all warrantless searches are presumed illegal, and the burden of showing that a search was made pursuant to unequivocal and specific consent rests entirely on the State. State v. Brown, supra. We therefore reverse and remand for the trial court to conduct such further proceedings as are necessary for it to make findings of fact in a manner consistent with this opinion. Because the new findings may differ from those made pursuant to the inverted burden of proof employed in the present case, appellant's constitutional arguments are not ripe for decision, and we therefore do not address them.

Report to the police that a vehicle was stolen was reason to stop it. At the hearing, it was shown that the victim didn’t intend to affect defendant, but the report was relied on in good faith at the time. State v. Mundy, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 442 (La. App. 3d Cir. April 4, 2012).*

Defendant’s refusal of consent did not dispel reasonable suspicion nor mandate ending the stop if there is reasonable suspicion. State v. Gomez, 2012 UT App 102, 2012 Utah App. LEXIS 105 (April 5, 2012):

[*P11] To the extent that Gomez is asserting that his refusal to consent to the search ended the investigation as a matter of law, we do not agree. Courts generally hold that refusal to consent cannot establish or—according to some courts—even support reasonable suspicion. ... The Tenth Circuit has well stated the rationale of these cases: "If refusal of consent were a basis for reasonable suspicion, nothing would be left of Fourth Amendment protections. A motorist who consented to a search could be searched; and a motorist who refused consent could be searched, as well." Santos, 403 F.3d at 1125-26; see also United States v. Hunnicutt, 135 F.3d 1345, 1351 (10th Cir. 1998) ("Any other rule would make a mockery of the reasonable suspicion and probable cause requirements, as well as the consent doctrine.").

[*P12] However, the issue here is not whether refusal to consent supports reasonable suspicion, but whether it dispels reasonable suspicion, or at any rate terminates an officer's attempts to confirm or dispel his or her original reasonable suspicion. On this point, the case law is equally clear. Gomez "cites no case law, and we have found none, that would require [the officer] to ignore all that he had observed and all that he knew up to the moment he asked for consent." See Leal, 235 F. App'x at 940. Indeed, courts routinely hold post-refusal detentions to be supported by pre-refusal reasonable suspicion under an ordinary totality-of-the-circumstances analysis. ... Thus, a brief investigative detention of a suspect who has refused consent, like any other official detention, is lawful to the extent it is supported by reasonable suspicion, and the investigating officer acts diligently to pursue a means of investigation likely to quickly confirm or dispel that suspicion. See Sharpe, 470 U.S. at 686.

[*P13] Nor do we agree with Gomez that, as a factual matter, once he denied consent to search, Officer Speeth "had done all that he could to quickly confirm or dispel his suspicion that Gomez was involved [in] drug trafficking." Gomez's own response to the officer's request suggested a further avenue of investigation. When the officer made the original request, Gomez did not consent, but neither did he categorically refuse consent. He gave a response from which the officer inferred that "some of the other occupants had something incriminating inside the hotel room." That inference cued up the next logical step in the investigation: determining whether Gomez's companions would object to a search of the hotel room. When they disclaimed any interest in the room, the officer again approached Gomez. This time, Gomez consented.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Residents of Tulsa's predominantly black north side said Saturday they're afraid a shooter is still roaming their neighborhoods looking for victims after five people were shot — and three killed — a day earlier.

"We're all nervous," said Renaldo Works, 52, who was getting his hair ...

Affidavit for medical records that “might” provide evidence that defendant was DUI was constitutionally insufficient as based on an assumption. It was thus “bare bones” for good faith purposes. Willoughby v. State, 2012 Ga. App. LEXIS 378 (April 5, 2012). [Note: Georgia Court of Appeals cases were only available on LexisOne which ceased April 1. This court now has the distinction of being the only court in America without decisions online.]

Defendant was subjected to a full custodial arrest, so removing a .45 bullet from his pocket was not unreasonable under Terry. United States v. Villa, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 154625 (N.D. Ga. September 20, 2011), adopted, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48448 (N.D. Ga. April 5, 2012).*

Whether the cooperating witness had apparent authority to consent was shown to be a factual dispute that required a hearing[, and the court will tell the parties what the law is in advance]. United States v. Wright, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47828 (E.D. N.Y. April 2, 2012)* [Why didn’t the court just let the parties do it? This order is saying there’s a factual dispute for hearing, and there’s been no factual development.]

The defendant consented, and that obviated having to decide whether the third-party consent was valid. Inter alia, the undersigned observes that defendant is an adult, has had previous experience with police and is doubtless familiar with his rights.” United States v. Ray, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48391 (E.D. Tenn. March 16, 2012).*

Touching the fog line ("as nearly as practicable within" within the lane) is not reasonable suspicion for a stop in Indiana. United States v. Peters, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46977 (S.D. Ind. April 3, 2012)*:

To the extent that the Government argues that probable cause existed because, on one occasion, Officer Borgmann might have reasonably believed that the Denali momentarily and slightly touched the fog line, that argument fails as a matter of law. The statute commands only that drivers drive "as nearly as practicable within" the lane. While no Indiana case has addressed whether briefly touching a fog line violates the statute, courts in other jurisdictions have interpreted similarly worded statutes, and have rejected the Government's argument. See United States v. Colin, 314 F.3d 439, 444 (9th Cir. 2002) (collecting cases holding that momentarily touching but not crossing a dividing line does not violate a statute requiring that a driver drive as "nearly as practical entirely within a single lane." (emphasis omitted)). In opposition to those cases, the Government has collected cases of its own. Those cases are, however, irrelevant. They involve fact patterns involving "erratic" driving across one or both fog lines, ...; or "partially swerving off the roadway," .... No such behavior occurred here.

Three young people recently out of high school run for school board to help former classmates, Athena Jones reports.

Defendant as stopped for a traffic offense, but it was quickly learned from the police computer terminal in the patrol car that there was an active warrant for him. The officer never bothered to follow up with the traffic offense, but this was not unreasonable. Defendant’s car would have been left on a busy street, so it was reasonable to tow and inventory it. The fact the search started immediately does not prove that the inventory was pretextual. A printout of the computer readout was admissible in lieu of the warrant because good faith is the only question. State v. Sanders, 2012 Ohio 1540, 2012 Ohio App. LEXIS 1357 (8th Dist. April 5, 2012).*

Defendant agreed to probation with a search at any time provision. The PO showed up at his parents place where he was living, and saw him on the back deck with a friend who hurriedly left. Drugs were validly found in a potted plant. State v. Burns, 2012 Ohio 1529, 2012 Ohio App. LEXIS 1342 (4th Dist. March 29, 2012).*

The officer did not violate the Fourth Amendment by knocking on the window of defendant’s car to wake him. When defendant woke up, he was dazed and confused, and that was reasonable suspicion to go further. State v. Jones, 2012 Ohio 1523, 2012 Ohio App. LEXIS 1337 (4th Dist. March 16, 2012).*

A Democratic venture capitalist describes the small miracle of a pro-growth bipartisan success.

Planners want to herd millions into densely packed urban corridors. It won't save the planet but will make traffic even worse.

In "The Social Conquest of Earth," Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson examines the intersection of our biological inheritance and our social behavior.

A tragedy for Syrians, and a major defeat for U.S. interests.

This week, Coca-Cola and Kraft announced they are pulling their corporate memberships from a conservative group that was behind the spread of "stand your ground" laws like the one highlighted in Florida by the Trayvon Martin case.

Ilyse Hogue says a consumer campaign caused the soda corporation to back out of a group that has pushed controversial voter-ID and "stand your ground" laws. In a post-Citizens United world it's a preview

The media gin up another phony controversy. Product-defamation laws, anyone?

Henry George notes the similarity of protectionism to military blockades.

Some observers praise its 'state-led capitalism.' But the truth is that leaders, starting with Deng Xiaoping, loosened Beijing's control.

Henry Hazlitt on the troubles of even a mild inflation.

The labor participation rate falls again.