Sheila Mullane Estrada

Sheila Mullane Estrada has written for various publications, including the Sarasota Herald Tribune, the Lakeland Ledger, the Evening Independent, Tampa Bay Times, and The Bull & Bear Financial Report. She has won several journalism awards.

Virginia about to become first Southern state to ban death penalty

Amid growing debate over the use of the death penalty in the United States, Virginia has decided to abolish its use, joining 22 other states that never have or no

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 11 Feb 2021

An electric chair displayed against a dark background.

Is video surveillance Constitutional? Court opinions vary.

Video surveillance of the public on our streets, in our places of work, in stores and even from our front doors is becoming ubiquitous, and in the views of some,

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 5 Feb 2021

Close-up of a CCTV security camera with a blurred background.

A $100 Trump-Biden bet lands friends in court

Just when everyone thought the court battles over whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election were over, there’s a new entry in a new arena

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 28 Jan 2021

Street sign displaying the names of Trump and Biden against an American flag with a stormy sky background.

Vacation rental dispute raises Constitutional questions

Carol and Jerard Muszik are making a federal case out of their dispute with their Florida beach community, Redington Shores, over the town’s short-term vacation rental regulations. In mid-December,

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 20 Jan 2021

Computer screen showing travel bookings, including hotel and flight reservations.

Facial recognition software flawed, as government use increases

Facial recognition software, often used by law enforcement to identify and track criminals and terrorists, is seriously flawed — just ask Michael Oliver of Detroit, one of several people who have

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 8 Jan 2021

Facial recognition software interface displaying a person’s face and identification data.

Border Patrol claims wide latitude for phone searches

Nadia Alasaad had her iPhone searched twice at the border, both times over her religious objections to male Border Patrol officers viewing photos of her and her daughters without their

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 15 Dec 2020

Border Patrol federal agent gear displayed.

Wrongful death law may seem simple, but it’s not

Gerardo Gutierrez, 70, repeatedly and unsuccessfully pleaded with his supervisors to be allowed to wear a mask while working at a Publix Super Market deli in Florida. He died in

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 7 Dec 2020

Paper labeled ‘Wrongful Death’ on a desk with doctors speaking to a patient’s family member.

The death penalty: Emotion, numbers and the law collide

Lisa Marie Montgomery is 52 and mentally ill, living on a cocktail of psychotropic drugs that only occasionally help her recognize the reality of her federal prison cell. She is

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 20 Nov 2020

Scale model of an electric chair displayed against a dark background.

Beach access rights pit neighbor against neighbor

Fights over beach access rights are nothing new. These battles usually take place in the courtroom, but sometimes can become physical. This summer, a dispute between two New Jersey beachgoers

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 13 Nov 2020

View of St. Pete Beach in Florida, USA, showing sand and water.

Having trouble keeping track of the Trump lawsuits? Here’s an updated scorecard.

UPDATE (Dec. 8, 2020): As the Trump campaign continues to lose in court, its efforts to change the election results are shifting to pressuring state legislators and top state officials

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 12 Nov 2020

Protesters demonstrating in Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House in Washington, D.C.

Thinking of emigrating after the election? You’re not alone.

President Donald J. Trump’s musing this month that he might “leave the country” if he loses his reelection bid mirrors the real actions thousands of people took after he

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 28 Oct 2020

Passport and Visa document shown in close-up view.

Coronavirus spreading swiftly through U.S. prisons

COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in prisons are much higher than in the general population, according to a national study, as crowded environments act like a petri dish for exponential

By Sheila Mullane Estrada

/ 27 Oct 2020

Family members of state prisoners protesting at the Governor's Mansion, calling for their release.