Month: October 2026
Commissioner’s Column: Jackrabbits, Legal Deserts, and the Ghost of Julia Staab
By Leslie Hayes The Jackrabbit[i] Bar Conference The Jackrabbit Bar Conference is an annual conference of camaraderie and interactions between bar leaders from Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The states rotate as host…
Read Full ArticleProof under the Influence: The Suspiciously Confident DRE
By David Delyea Alcohol and drug-based DUI prosecutions ask juries to answer the same ultimate question: whether the defendant drove while under the influence of an intoxicating substance. The difficulty arises in determining what evidence is relevant, admissible, and sufficient…
Read Full Article2026 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago
By Kendall Bjornsen This year’s American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois, the primary headquarters of the ABA. I have the privilege of serving in several capacities and representing Idaho with the ABA. I am Idaho’s…
Read Full ArticleThe State Public Defender and the Right to Counsel
By Anthony Geddes The constitutional right to counsel in a criminal case is one of the foundations of a properly functioning criminal justice system. The fair administration of justice requires both the government and defense to have properly trained and…
Read Full ArticleTransforming Indigent Defense in Idaho: Entering Year Three of the State Public Defender System
Eric Fredericksen In 2022, Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 735, shifting all legal and financial responsibility for indigent criminal defense away from the counties and to the State.[1] The State Public Defender was slated to begin work on July 1, 2023, but I…
Read Full ArticleHave Fourth Amendment Protections Been Diminished?
By Dawn Trivolis The work of criminal defense attorneys necessarily involves some type of analysis of whether the government’s action in a case complies with constitutional requirements, including applicability of the Fourth Amendment.[1] The Fourth Amendment to the United States…
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