MENU
SEARCHThe court overturned the conviction of Charles Fowler for the 1998 shooting of a Florida officer. Fowler was convicted for violating a federal communications statute and given life in prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a man who fatally shot a police officer who discovered him planning a bank robbery with four other people in a Florida cemetery.
The court overturned the conviction of Charles Fowler for the 1998 shooting of Haines City (Fla.) Police Officer Todd Horner. Fowler was convicted of violating a federal witness tampering statute of preventing Officer Horner from communicating with a federal officer.
Fowler and several other men met on March 3, 1998, to plan a robbery of a Florida bank. Officer Horner approached a suspicious vehicle at about 6:40 a.m. After asking four subjects to exit the vehicle at gunpoint, one man distracted Officer Horner, while a fifth subject hiding in a nearby orange grove attacked him from behind. The men disarmed the officer.
Fowler then said, "Now we can't walk away from this thing." He then shot the officer in the back of the head.
In his majority opinion, Justice Breyer wrote that the government didn't prove Fowler's intent to prevent the communication. In his dissent, Justice Scalia wrote that the government needs only prove a "reasonable likelihood" that Officer Horner would have communicated information about Fowler's criminal activities to federal law enforcement.
The case is Fowler v. United States, 10-5443.
By Paul Clinton
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
Can an individual be prosecuted for despicable criminal conduct based on evidence obtained in violation of the United States Constitution? Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit judges wrote, “In the circumstances of this case (United States v. Holcomb, 23-469 (9th Cir. 2025)), respect for the Constitution and the rule of law requires an answer of “no.”
Read More →
<strong>“</strong>Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced,” the administration said.
Read More →The DOJ said in a press release that the “sanctuary city” policies of the City of Los Angeles are illegal under federal law.
Read More →
Officers can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects.
Read More →
In the Tenth Circuit case of Cuervo v. Sorenson, the Court ruled officers cannot deviate from the language of the warrant.
Read More →The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.
Read More →House Bill 4404 would create a presumption of civil immunity for individuals who are cleared criminally after using force in self-defense, shifting the burden of proof onto plaintiffs.
Read More →Seattle police Capt. Eric Greening sued former Chief Adrian Diaz last year alleging that Diaz retaliated when Greening brought up concerns about racial and gender discrimination.
Read More →Jim Leighty, a local activist, filed two federal lawsuits last year claiming both agencies deleted or hid critical comments he had written below multiple posts, while keeping comments that were pro-police in nature.
Read More →