Collect Call with Lawstache

A man flees a traffic stop, runs into a stranger's house, and hides a gun in an 8-year-old's bedroom — then claims the police violated his 4th Amendment rights. Can he? In this video, we break down United States v. Gatkuoth (8th Cir. 2026), a brand-new federal appeals decision on 4th Amendment standing, the overnight guest doctrine, and felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. §...

FBI agents raid a man's home with over 80 officers, an armored vehicle, and a sealed federal warrant — then local police make arrests without ever producing the warrant in court. Florida's Third District Court of Appeal said that's not good enough. All evidence suppressed. Case reversed. In Cabrera v. State (2026), the court tackled a critical Fourth Amendment question: can the Stat...

An ICE supervisor caught in a sting, nearly 100 text messages, and a 135-month sentence.   Today, we dive into the Ninth Circuit’s April 2026 decision in United States v. Williams.  When Koby Williams was arrested during an undercover "child enticement" operation, he claimed he was actually the one doing the investigating. But the court had the receipts—including a text message where he...

The U.S. government seized 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil from two tankers in the Mediterranean Sea — sold it for $50 million — and a Turkish company that claimed to own it walked away with nothing. Here's how that's legal. In today's video, we break down United States v. All Petroleum-Product Cargo Onboard the M/T Arina, a brand-new D.C. Circuit opinion decided April 21, 2026 — cov...

A police officer pulls over a driver for rolling across a sidewalk. Routine stop — until a records check reveals his license has been suspended since 1993. The cop decides to tow the car, conducts an inventory search, and finds meth, fentanyl, cash, and a digital scale. A search warrant follows for a nearby hotel room — where officers find a loaded gun and more drugs. Open and shut case? The Calif...

Isaac Tekola ran a fentanyl distribution operation out of his apartment — and when he got caught, he argued his home was just... his home. The Ninth Circuit wasn't buying it. In this video, we break down United States v. Tekola (9th Cir. 2026), where the court upheld a two-level sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(12) — the "maintained a premises" enhancement — even tho...

In this video, we break down United States v. Ruiz, a brand new Ninth Circuit opinion from January 2026. Alex Ruiz was convicted of transporting illegal aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324 — but the way he got caught and convicted is what makes this case fascinating. 🚔 THE TECH: Border Patrol agents driving unmarked vehicles ran a real-time records check that pulled the car's travel histo...

Federal probation officers showed up at Deanna Coleman's door while she was in her bathrobe. She asked them if they needed a warrant. They said no — and walked in anyway. What they found behind her bathroom mirror changed everything. But a federal appeals court just ruled the entire search was unconstitutional. In this video I break down the brand new Fourth Circuit case United States v. Pere...

California appeals court just REVERSED a murder conviction because police went too far with an undercover interrogation. In People v. Zapata (2026), the court ruled that once a suspect invokes their right to a lawyer, police can't use undercover agents and coercive tactics to get around Miranda rights. What happened: Jason Zapata was placed in a cell with undercover cops posing as inmates (a...

San Diego Federal Drug Defense: 2025 Sentencing Changes for Border Couriers & Minimal Role Reductions If you've been charged with transporting drugs across the San Diego-Mexico border, the 2025 federal sentencing guideline amendments could significantly reduce your potential prison time. As a San Diego criminal defense attorney, I explain how drug couriers may qualify for minimal or minor...

Can police search a bag in your car without a warrant? The Supreme Court says yes—and this decision affects thousands of traffic stops and drug arrests every year. In California v. Acevedo (1991), the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment, allowing police to search containers inside a vehicle if they claim probable cause—even without a warrant. But probable c...

Strickland v. Washington (1984) is one of the most important criminal defense cases in American history. In this final episode of Top 10 Most Important Criminal Defense Cases series, San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney Anton Vialtsin breaks down the Supreme Court decision that created the modern standard for ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment. In this video, you’ll learn:...

In United States v. Booker (2005), the Supreme Court transformed federal sentencing forever. Before Booker, federal judges were required to follow strict sentencing guidelines — even when they led to unfair results. But the Court ruled that mandatory guidelines violated the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial. This landmark decision made the Federal Sentencing Guidelines advisory, restoring judi...

What really happened in Brady v. Maryland (1963) — and what does a Brady violation actually mean? In this video, we break down one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in criminal law history. You’ll learn how Brady v. Maryland changed the way prosecutors must handle evidence, why the case still matters today, and the biggest misconceptions the public often gets wrong about Brady disclosu...

In Carpenter v. United States (2018), the Supreme Court faced a modern privacy dilemma: can the government track your cell phone’s location without a warrant? This landmark Fourth Amendment case reshaped digital privacy law and limited the “third-party doctrine” that had ruled for decades. Join us in Part 7 of our Top 10 Supreme Court Criminal Law Cases as we break down: What really happened in Ca...

In Part 6 of our Top 10 Criminal Supreme Court Cases series, we break down the landmark case Mapp v. Ohio (1961) — the decision that applied the exclusionary rule to the states. This case is one of the most misunderstood in criminal law. How is Don King connected to this case? Was it really about obscenity? Did it create new rights for defendants? And what myths about illegal searches still confus...

🚔 Can police search your car without a warrant? This episode of our Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths series dives into the history of the “automobile exception” under the Fourth Amendment. In this video, we’ll cover: ✅ The facts behind the Supreme Court’s landmark decision during Prohibition ✅ Why cars are treated differently from homes under the Constitution ✅ The biggest myths about car s...

Welcome to Part 4 of our series on the Top 10 Supreme Court Criminal Law Cases and the Myths Surrounding Them! In this episode, we break down Terry v. Ohio (1968) — the landmark case that created the legal foundation for stop-and-frisk. 🚔 What really happened in Terry v. Ohio? ⚖️ What did the Supreme Court actually hold? ❌ And what are the biggest myths people still believe about stop-and-frisk?...

Think you know the story of Katz v. United States (1967)? Most people believe this landmark Supreme Court case gave everyone a guaranteed right to privacy—but that’s not the full truth. In this video, we break down the biggest myths and misunderstandings about Katz, from whether the Fourth Amendment protects all conversations, to what counts as a “reasonable expectation of privacy,” to how this ca...

Think you know the story of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)? Most people believe this landmark Supreme Court case guaranteed everyone a free lawyer—but that’s not the full truth. In this video, we break down the biggest myths and misunderstandings about Gideon, from whether lawyers are really “free,” to the limits of the right to counsel, to what happened when Clarence Gideon was retried. This is Part...

We’ve all heard it on TV: “You have the right to remain silent…” But most people misunderstand entirely what Miranda rights actually mean. In this video, I break down the Top Miranda Rights Myths that could cost you in the real world. 🚨 Learn the truth about: ~Do police always have to read Miranda at arrest? ~Does your case get thrown out if they don’t? ~Can silence alone protect you? ~What happe...

In this video, we break down the California Court of Appeal’s August 2025 decision in People v. Harlow, a case that redefines how courts handle mental health diversion under Penal Code § 1001.36. 🔎 What you’ll learn in this video: ~The story behind People v. Harlow and why the trial court denied diversion ~How the 2022 amendment to Penal Code 1001.36 changed the rules ~The difference between elig...

The California Court of Appeal just delivered a major decision in Muñoz v. Regents (Aug. 5, 2025) — ruling that the University of California’s policy banning undocumented students without federal work permits from campus jobs violates California law. In this video, I break down: ~What this case is about ~Why UC’s “risk management” defense failed ~How California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (F...

Can an honest—but unreasonable—mistake erase criminal intent? In People v. Hendrix (2022), the California Supreme Court tackled this exact question after a man was convicted of burglary for walking into a home he thought belonged to his cousin. ⚖️ This video breaks down the Supreme Court’s ruling that a mistake of fact doesn’t have to be reasonable to negate specific intent crimes like burglary. T...

In this video, attorney Anton Vialtsin breaks down the Ninth Circuit’s 2025 ruling in United States v. Robert Louis Carver — a major case on how California expungements under Penal Code §1203.4 are treated in federal court. Spoiler: they still count! If you thought your old convictions were wiped clean, this case might change your mind. Learn what this means for criminal history scores, sentencing...