Case Law Update Michael J. Sgarlat Case Law Update Michael J. Sgarlat

Seventh Circuit: Facebook’s Reporting of Child Pornography Does Not Make It a Government Actor

In 2018, Alexander Bebris sent messages to a woman via Facebook Messenger, a private messaging system on Facebook. Facebook Messenger utilizes PhotoDNA, a Microsoft image-recognition program that provides the capability to scan images uploaded onto the company’s platform and compares the “hash,” or essence of a photo, with a database of known images of child pornography. After a “hit,” Facebook reviews the flagged images and sends them to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) through the CyberTipline.

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FEDforum Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) FEDforum Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)

Survivor Story of Garrett Garton

In this round of the FEDForum, Concerns of Police Survivors would like to share the Survivor Story of Garrett Garton, Surviving Child of Hawthorne Police Officer Andrew Garton, EOW 5/26/2011. Garrett was just 12 years old at the time of his father’s death. Here is his story in his own words.

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News FEDagent News FEDagent

Department of the Interior Announces Task Force to Review Policing Standards

Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Deb Haaland signed a memo last week creating a task force to review law enforcement policies and procedures across the department. The memo cites the June 2021 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report “Review of U.S. Park Police Actions at Lafayette Park" as an impetus for the task force creation.

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ICE Issues New Policy on Detention of Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nursing Individuals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a new policy directive regarding the identification, detention, monitoring, and use of restraints against persons who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing. Generally, the directive notes that ICE should not detain, arrest, or take into custody individuals who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for administrative immigration violations “unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.”

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DEA Administrator Sworn in After Senate Confirmation

According to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) press release from June 29, 2021, Anne Milgram was sworn in on June 28 as the Administrator of the DEA, where she will oversee an agency of more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 5,000 Special Agents and 800 Intelligence Analysts, in 239 domestic offices in 23 divisions throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and in 91 foreign offices in 69 countries.

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News FEDagent News FEDagent

Former Temporary Workers Could Catch Up on Pension Contributions Under Proposed Bill

Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) recently introduced a bipartisan piece of legislation titled the Federal Retirement Fairness Act. This legislation would allow employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who initially entered government as temporary workers to make catch-up retirement contributions to cover for the years when they were temps.

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Case Law Update Michael J. Sgarlat Case Law Update Michael J. Sgarlat

Eighth Circuit: Automobile Exception Applies to Temporarily Immobile Vehicles

On April 16, 2019, Des Moines police officers responded to various calls of gunshots fired at an apartment complex. The callers reported 3 potential suspects and 2 cars associated with those suspects. One caller described a suspect as a black male with dreadlocks in a white shirt and dark blue pants, a description fitting Shaun Short that evening. Callers also reported that one of the cars involved was a black Dodge Charger, the same make and model car owned by Short.

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The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Kentucky Man Sentenced for Racially Motivated Hate Crime

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 24, 2021, Gregory A. Bush of Louisville, KY was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering two Black shoppers at a Kroger grocery store and the attempted murder of a third. Each of these crimes was found to be racially motivated. He pleaded guilty-but-mentally-ill to state charges for murder, attempted murder and wanton endangerment.

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Video FEDagent Video FEDagent

Humans of CIA

Listen to the story of a CIA officer who describes where his interest in CIA began as a second generation American. He talks about his background, the places he has visited on the job, and the skills he has acquired through CIA.

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Educate Yourself FEDagent Educate Yourself FEDagent

You Say More Than You Think: 4 Simple Body Language Secrets to Read and influence Human Behavior

"YOU CAN'T LIE TO ME!" says Janine Driver, the Human Lie Detector. Janine is one of WIFLE's most popular presenters. Founder and president of the Body Language Institute, Janine trains thousands of law enforcement officers to decipher fact from fiction using body language. Janine is a former law enforcement officer with ATF.

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