Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Canine due process, feline endangerment, and civil contempt.
Criminal Justice
Even Without Trump's Tweets, the Attorney General's Intervention on Roger Stone's Behalf Would Have Looked Bad
If Barr is so concerned about the appearance of integrity, why did he insert himself into a high-profile case involving a presidential pal?
Thousands of Old Los Angeles County Marijuana Convictions Will Be Expunged
Nearly 66,000 cases are covered, dating back to 1961.
Can the Criminal Justice System Be Fixed? The Jury's Still Out.
Under the law, prosecutors are supposed to pursue justice and not only seek convictions.
Criminal Immigrant Prosecutions Declined Sharply After Jeff Sessions Left Office
Plus: navel-gazing student protesters, the new emblem of the culture war, and more...
Roger Stone Deserves a Lighter Sentence, but Not Because He Is Trump's Buddy
A prison sentence of seven to nine years is excessive for nonviolent process crimes aimed at concealing legal behavior.
Arkansas School Resource Officer Suspended After Video Showed Him Choking Student
The incident is just the latest in a string of excessive force incidents involving school resource officers around the country.
Bernie Sanders' Alternative to Court-Packing is Almost as Bad
It may be better only in so far as it is much more likely to get invalidated by the courts.
45 Prosecutors Ask Missouri's Supreme Court To Give Lamar Johnson a New Trial
Lamar Johnson, who is serving his 25th year in prison, has been absolved of responsibility for a 1994 murder. A circuit judge says it's too late to give him a new trial.
Tackling 'Very Unfair' Drug Penalties Could Help Trump Win
If the president wants voters to take him seriously, he should stop pretending the problem has been solved.
California Attorney General Defends Gang Database Despite Abuses by LAPD
Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced action against the department.
Judge Bumatay's Originalist Eighth Amendment dissent from denial of rehearing en banc
"The Eighth Amendment’s history and original understanding are of vital importance to this case."
Only Tulsi Gabbard Wants to Decriminalize Sex Work, but Other Dems Show Signs of Progress on the Issue
"If a consenting adult wants to engage in sex work, that is their right," Gabbard says.
Where Have You Been? Your Cellphone Knows and Is Willing to Tell
Your cellphone is tracking your movements and, despite legal protections, federal, state, and local officials are finding new and disturbing ways to use that information.
6th Circuit: This Man Can Sue the Cop Who Arrested Him for Defending His Daughter Against a Feral Cat
Dwain Barton says Officer Dean Vann illegally entered his home and used excessive force while arresting him without probable cause.
Colorado Prosecutor Is 'Incredibly Frustrated' Over Failure To Investigate a Cop for Driving Drunk
District Attorney George Brauchler: "Bottom line is if one of us had been in that car and not officer Nate Meier, you ask me if I think it would have been treated differently, I do."
Louisiana Prosecutors Say They Can't Be Sued Over the Fake Subpoenas They Used To Pressure Witnesses Into Testifying
In several cases, victims received higher bonds than criminal defendants and were forced to serve jail time.
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Detroit's Asset Forfeiture Racket
The lawsuit says Wayne County police stop and seize cars simply for entering or leaving certain areas.
New York Police Try To Pin Gang Witness's Death on Criminal Justice Reforms
The state’s new rules requiring information-sharing with defense lawyers are not to blame here.
What Americans Think About Prostitution Laws
Plus: Buttigieg ekes out a win in Iowa, Mitt Romney blows everyone's minds, and more...
Lawsuit Targets Nashville Courts for Treating Bail Money Like Down Payments for Fines, Fees
ACLU argues the practice violates the Eighth Amendment.
A Group of Prosecutors Want SCOTUS To Save Death Row Inmate James Dailey
Former prosecutor Bennett Gershman: "The use of jailhouse informants...is one of the great abuses in criminal trials across America."
Government Should Repeal Out of Date Laws
"People commit crimes all the time without knowing it. It's impossible to know what sort of behavior is criminal."
Trump Is Making Criminal Justice Reform a Theme of his Campaign
But he'll have to do more than coast on a few commendable pardons if he wants to prove he's serious.
Murder Charges for Maryland Cop Who Shot Handcuffed Man in Police Car
Prince George's County had started a pilot program to fit officers with body cameras five years ago, but never set aside the money to expand.
Judge Finds That the Houston Narcotics Officer Whose Lies Killed a Couple in 2019 Framed Another Suspect in 2008
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg says it's reasonable to presume that Gerald Goines also lied in other drug cases.
Does Trump's Super Bowl Ad Signal More Progress on Sentencing Reform?
While the president seems sincerely concerned about "very unfair" drug penalties, it's not clear whether he thinks his work in that area is done.
The Trouble with Tennessee's Lethal Injection Drugs
"This whole question of how we kill our prisoners is sort of a sideshow when the system is as broken as it is."
Massage Parlor Panic
A potent combination of puritanism, racism, and political opportunism is putting Asian masseuses and the people who support them in needless danger.
Amy Klobuchar Boasts About Putting Myon Burrell Behind Bars. But What If He's Innocent?
Activists urge Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign.
What the Porn Industry Thinks of the New War on Porn
GOP attacks on internet smut are heating up, but the porn industry has more practical threats to worry about.
DOJ Intervention Dramatically, Irrationally, and Unconstitutionally Increases the Penalty Faced by a Woman Accused of Slapping Jews
How can prosecuting a black woman for slapping Jews in 2020 be authorized by the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in 1865?
Donnie Lance Will Be Executed Tonight Without Physical Evidence Attaching Him to Murder
Supporters of Lance believe the court should have tested DNA before sentencing him to death.
DNA Testing Could Prove That Arkansas Executed an Innocent Man Three Years Ago
The ACLU and the Innocence Project are suing to uncover the evidence.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Fireburn, puppycide, and the DOJ beggars belief.
Florida Supreme Court To Allow Non-Unanimous Death Sentences
Florida has had more exonerations of death row inmates than any other state in the U.S.
Why Do Critics of Harsh Drug Penalties Support Them When the Drug Is Fentanyl?
A new Drug Policy Alliance report highlights this puzzling and dangerous inconsistency.
Michelle Carter Released from Prison Early
The Supreme Court had denied cert in the texting suicide case
