

Bad Search… Still a Good Case: How Inventory Saved the Evidence
United States v. Allen Citation: No. 24-4604 (4th Cir. Apr. 28, 2026) Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Decision Date: April 28, 2026 TL;DR Holding: Evidence found in Allen’s bags was admissible under the inevitable discovery doctrine because it would have been uncovered during mandatory inventory searches at booking. Why it matters: Even if a search incident to arrest is invalid, evidence can still come in if standardized inventory policies would have uncov
3 min read


Deadly Force on a Fleeing Armed Suspect — When “Armed” Isn’t Enough
Ruffin v. Davis (4th Cir. 2026) Docket Number: 25-1318, April 29, 2026 TL;DR Holding: The Fourth Circuit held that an officer is not entitled to qualified immunity when he uses deadly force on a fleeing suspect—even an armed one—who does not make a threatening or furtive movement with the weapon. Why it matters: This is a major reaffirmation (and tightening) of Tennessee v. Garner + Graham v. Connor: Being armed + running + ignoring commands still does NOT justify deadly forc
3 min read


