PhotoCop? Warning: Constitution Questions May Be Larger Than They Appear
The Deseret News recently published an opinion piece advocating for the legalization of PhotoCop devices in Utah—cameras to automatically record and punish violators of the law.
Can Police Force You to Open Your Phone?
The general constitutional issue under review is this: does allowing police to force a criminal defendant to provide the passcode for a cell phone violate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination?
If Santa Were Real, He’d Be Facing Arrest
When asked if bringing toys is really going to cause harm, Special Agent Ebenezer Scrooge quickly corrected the question. “Harmful contraband, not toys,” he sharply retorted.
Lying to Kids Does Not Achieve Justice
The practice of deceiving young people only results in police hearing what they want to hear. It does not result in accurately solving crimes.
Utah Still Faces Challenges Mitigating Police Use of Force
Police need to receive better training to decrease their use of lethal force. Training that does not emphasize discharging a firearm is necessary if police officers intend to keep their promises of maintaining peace and order in...
So You Say There Ought to Be a Law
Every law, no matter how just or how much you agree with it, carries a possible death sentence for violating it.
New Effort to “Repeal and Replace” the Death Penalty in Utah
This new approach aims to solve a critical problem for victim family members.
Facial Recognition Is Terrifying, Even (Especially) When It Works
The only thing worse than an arbitrary, incompetent government violating its citizens’ liberties is an arbitrary, competent one.
The Police Should Not Be Able to Lie to Children
If our justice system should err, let it be on the side of presuming innocence. By abolishing the use of deception towards minors, the vulnerable are protected and the innocent kept free.
Utah’s K-9 Units Must Get More Training, But It Won’t Completely Solve the Problem
Even with the recent changes in legislation, the use of K-9 units in the future is still controversial, and more work needs to be done.