Tough-on-Crime Cash Bail Initiatives Win in Ohio and Alabama
The debate over bail has become a polarizing flash point. But as usual, the answer is more nuanced than either Republicans or Democrats would have their bases believe.
Crime
Jackson, in First Supreme Court Opinion, Defends Death Row Inmate
In her short, yet searing dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argues that the court should have granted the petition of an Ohio man sentenced to death after prosecutors hid a key witness' severe intellectual disability from jurors.
Some Supreme Court Justices Want the Court To Tackle More Government Abuse Cases
Unfortunately, in five separate cases today, they're outnumbered.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
What Message Are Prosecutors Sending by Charging Paul Pelosi's Attacker With 8 State and Federal Felonies?
In addition to six state charges, David DePape faces two federal charges, each punishable by decades in prison.
In Kentucky, Legal Abortion Is on the Ballot
Voters will soon cast ballots on a constitutional amendment that seeks to explicitly remove any protections for abortion in the state's constitution.
Why Is Texas Requiring a Guy Who Stole a Car To Register as a Sex Offender?
When states misuse sex-offender registries and apply them to any crime that involves a child, individual rights are abused.
Woman Can Sue Alabama Cops for Towing Car as Part of Town's Profiteering Scheme
A federal judge denied qualified immunity for officers accused of making up charges to get money from fines.
ATF, Enforcer of Gun Laws, Lost 'Thousands of Firearms, Firearm Parts' to Thieves
The agency should be abolished and its employees sent to seek jobs in the private sector.
This 78-Year-Old Woman Was Arrested for Feeding the Poor
Norma Thornton of Bullhead City, Arizona, is suing for the right to help people in need.
Decriminalizing Jaywalking in California Will Help Reduce Police Harassment
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in September that will chip away at a policy that has long been criticized as enabling racially-motivated policing.
FBI Reports Dubious 'Trend' of Rideshare Driver Kidnappings
Plus: Pandemic learning loss, German weed legalization, and more...
Larry Krasner: Are Progressive Prosecutors Responsible for the Urban Crime Spike?
Q&A with Philadelphia's district attorney, who is facing an impeachment threat because of rising crime.
Rikers Island Sees 17th Prisoner Death This Year
Is a federal takeover of the troubled jail pending?
Is Crime Getting Better or Worse? We Don't Really Know.
The FBI changed the way it compiles data, and reporting law-enforcement agencies have yet to catch up.
Federal Report Adds to the Evidence That Bitemark Analysis Is Nonsense
Forensic techniques are nowhere near as reliable as cops shows pretend.
Don't Believe the People Blaming Crime on Defunded Police
Plus: the pandemic baby bump, how government is killing starter homes, and more...
Ron DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard Stunt Might Help Migrants Stay in the U.S. on Special Visas
A Texas sheriff has certified that the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard were the victims of a crime, which helps clear the way for them to apply for U visas.
Adnan Syed's Exoneration Shows How Hard It Is To Free Innocent People
Convincing evidence of his innocence has been available for years. But the criminal legal system prioritizes procedure and bureaucracy over liberty.
Biden Is Still Seeking Potential Life Sentences for Distributing Weed, Even As He Pardons for Possession
Pardoning possession offenders is nice. Taking his boot off the necks of cannabis sellers would be even better.
Did Murders Rise in 2021? No One Knows.
Plus: Court says DACA is illegal, Colorado baker appeals gender transition cake ruling, and more...
Chicago's Red Light Cameras Keep Fueling Corruption Scandals
A state senator joins several local officials in federal indictments for taking bribes in exchange for contracts.
A Jury Acquitted Them of Various Charges. They Served Prison Time for Them Anyway.
The Supreme Court may soon consider if acquitted conduct sentencing is illegal.
Teenage Girl Killed in Police Shootout With Her Dad in California Desert
Media outlets repeated police speculation that she might have been involved, but investigators now say she was likely unarmed.
Why Are Half of All U.S. Exonerations of Black Prisoners?
A new report looks at decades of troubling trends of bad convictions in murder, rape, and drug cases.
In Netflix's Dahmer, Incompetent Police Fail To Catch a Serial Killer
The show depicts the killer's gruesome crimes but lays some of the blame on the Milwaukee police who failed for so long to catch him.
Are the Media Making Mass Shootings Worse?
Yes, according to a growing body of research, says criminologist Adam Lankford.
Hiring Formerly Incarcerated People Is Good, Actually
Some conservative media outlets and politicians lambast the practice. But if you care about public safety, that opposition doesn't make sense.
'I Have My Own Life': The Case for Legalizing Sex Work
It would be far easier to prosecute sex trafficking if voluntary sex work were legal.
Las Vegas Elected Official Robert Telles Arrested as Suspect in Journalist Jeff German's Death
Plus: The wage premium from having a college degree is falling, study finds black access to firearms reduced lynchings during Jim Crow, and more...
Manhattan D.A. To Prosecute Domestic Violence Victim for Murder After Saying It Wasn't Murder
Alvin Bragg campaigned on Tracy McCarter’s innocence. Once in office, that was apparently less politically expedient.
Vegan Animal Sanctuary Owner Charged With Stealing Cows From Neighboring Farm
Animals are property, and property rights matter.
Number of American Mass Murders Relatively Steady Since 2006
Plus: A surge in female voter registrations, eminent domain in North Carolina, and more...
Judges Who Sent Kids to Detention Centers for Financial Kickbacks Ordered To Pay Over $200 Million
Former Judges Mark A. Ciavarella and Michael T. Conahan are now serving lengthy prison sentences for what became known as the "kids-for-cash" scandal.
Oklahoma Governor Orders Stay of Execution for Richard Glossip
Delaying Glossip's execution until December allows the courts to consider new evidence that might prove his innocence.
