Criminal Justice
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.
School Calls Cops on 6-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Who Made Finger Gun Gesture
The little girl said, "I shoot you," but her mother says she didn't understand what she was saying.
Bloomberg's Awful Old Quotes Defending Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Are Coming Back to Haunt Him
The former New York mayor is being called a racist for his former support of searching young minorities without cause.
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.
Kesha Defamed Former Producer in Private Text to Lady Gaga About Rape, Says Judge
Plus: Maybe Buttigieg didn't win Iowa? Vermont considers decriminalizing prostitution. Customs and Border Protection gets a status change. And more...
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...
Undercover Cops Hired 118 Handymen, Then Arrested Them All for Not Having Licenses
Undercover sheriff's deputies posing as homeowners hired handymen to paint, install recessed lighting, or do other tasks that require licenses. Then they arrested them.
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.
The Supreme Court's Next Fourth Amendment Showdown
In November, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kansas v. Glover.
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?
The Justice Department Wades Into New York Bail Reform Fight With Federal Hate Crime Charges Over Slapping
Police and prosecutors want to maintain a system that punishes poor people before they’re ever convicted.
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.
Passive Voice Deployed in Mysterious Shooting Death of Handcuffed Man in Police Car
“The suspect was struck several times by the officer's duty weapon.” No, the cop shot him.
The Austin City Council Voted for Marijuana Reform. Austin's Police Chief Says He'll Keep Arresting People.
Council member Gregorio Casar: "I think the state of Texas should come out of the Stone Ages and not only decriminalize but legalize marijuana in the state."
Sanders Wants More Supreme Court Justices Like Sotomayor. That's Not a Bad Idea.
The presidential hopeful weighs in on the Supreme Court.
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.
Lawmakers Say the FBI's Problematic Carter Page Warrants Require Congressional Surveillance Reforms
A bipartisan coalition wants to restrain secret snooping and create more independent oversight of the secretive FISA Court.
