

Zorn v. Linton (2026): Wristlocks, Protesters, and the “Clearly Established” Trap
Citation: Zorn v. Linton , 607 U.S. ___ (2026) Court: United States Supreme Court Decision Date: March 23, 2026 TL;DR Holding: Officer entitled to qualified immunity; no clearly established law prohibited using a wristlock to lift a noncompliant protester after warnings. Why it matters: Reinforces that excessive force claims fail unless prior case law matches the specific facts closely. Key limit: The Court did not say the force was constitutional—only that it wasn’t
3 min read


Frosting vs. Cake: Why Bad Evidence Didn’t Kill a Strong Drug Case
United States v. Parlin No. 24-1297 (1st Cir. Mar. 11, 2026) TL;DR Holding: Even if a police officer’s testimony about “user vs. dealer quantities” was improperly admitted, the conviction stands because the error was harmless given overwhelming independent evidence of drug distribution. Why it matters: Appellate courts will uphold convictions when bad evidence is merely “frosting”—not the “cake.” Limit: Improper opinion testimony can still matter—but not when wiretaps,
3 min read


