In United States v. Rodriguez, 135 S.Ct. 1609 (2015), the United States Supreme Court was asked whether police officers could routinely extend the length of a traffic stop to allow a trained drug detection dog to sniff the stopped car. The Court held that they may not. Specifically, the Court held that, absent reasonable suspicion […]
B. Keith Edwards – formerly an Assistant District Defender in Topeka’s Third Judicial District Public Defender’s Office – has joined the Criminal Division of Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC. Based in the firm’s Wichita office, Edwards represents individuals charged with criminal offenses in municipal and state courts. “The attorneys in the firm are well respected […]
Law enforcement officials call it a tool, but critics call it highway robbery. Its real name is civil asset forfeiture – it’s how a traffic stop could end with someone losing their life’s savings. Attorney Chris Joseph is on the other side of the issue. He’s working to reform that law. Unlike criminal asset forfeiture, […]
A defendant is entitled to present alternate theories of defense at trial. And the jury must receive each instruction supported by the evidence—regardless of which party presents that evidence. In State v. Lindemuth, Christopher Joseph and Carrie Parker’s application of this law resulted in a reversed conviction for their client. The case began in 2015, […]
Kansas civil asset forfeiture laws allow police to seize and keep property that is more likely than not involved in criminal activity. According to a report published by the Institute for Justice, “Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture,” most state forfeiture laws encourage police to pursue profit instead of the neutral administration […]
In 2011, under circumstances that did not afford him a fair trial, Christopher Waisner was convicted of several off-grid sex crimes and sentenced to serve multiple life prison terms. It was a “he said, she said” case that significantly depended on the credibility of the complaining witness. At trial, the State’s expert witnesses improperly vouched […]