Criminal Justice
Florida Prisons Are a Slow-Motion Disaster
"We are a prison system that's overstuffed and under-guarded, and that is a lethal combination of policies," says state Sen. Jeff Brandes.
Relying on Petty Fines To Fund City Government Can Have Serious Consequences
"Taxation by citation" harms the harmless and destroys trust in civic institutions.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Open fields, tight handcuffs, and mass shootings.
Judge Says Cops Need Qualified Immunity To 'Stop Mass Shootings'
In fact, the legal doctrine lets cops to get away with outrageous conduct.
The NYPD Officer Fired for Choking Eric Garner Is Suing To Get His Job Back
Pantaleo's lawyer says it’s “arbitrary and capricious” to fire a cop for choking a guy over black market cigarettes.
Free speech and LGBT rights
Almost a century ago, just as the modern First Amendment was born, a little-known gay-rights organization in Chicago emerged from its closet blinking into the daylight
An 8-Year-Old Girl Says She Was Almost Kidnapped. Media and Parents Freaked Out. It Was a Hoax.
Two days later, the cops figured out the story was make believe.
Federal Prosecutors Are Punishing Actor Lori Loughlin for Exercising Her Right To Defend Herself
Plea deals aren’t about mercy these days. They’re about intimidating defendants into giving up the right to a trial.
The Fifth Avenue Immunity
Can a State Investigate Alleged Criminal Wrongdoing Involving a Sitting President?
"Explaining Criminal Sanctions in Intellectual Property Law" Symposium Piece Out
Penn's IP journal makes its launch
S.C. Judge Rules the Obvious: It's Unconstitutional for Police to Seize and Keep People's Property Without Proving They Committed Crimes
Law enforcement and prosecutors have seized millions from people they’ve arrested. That might be coming to an end.
George Washington and the Emoluments Clauses
The Practices of our First President Suggest That President Trump is not violating the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses
Is intelligence "reform" a self-licking ice cream cone and compliance trap?
Episode 283 of the Cyberlaw Podcast
Florida Cops Went to Absurd Lengths to Entrap Man Who Showed No Interest in Underage Sex
Sarasota deputies violated best practices and ethical standards for sting operations.
Severability Doctrine in the Fifth Circuit
At least two judges favor Justice Thomas's approach to severability
Can a federal agency's policy pre-empt state law?
Justices Thomas and Gorusch write that an executive-branch policy is not "'Law' for purposes of the Supremacy Clause."
All Courts Should Abolish the Need for Amici to Seek Leave of the Parties
And pro hac vice fees should be waived for counsel representing amici pro bono
Maui Mayor Won't Settle Clean Water Act Case
Efforts to take Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund off the Supreme Court's docket hit a snag.
Jesus Told Me the Answer
The question was, "Why is Jesus a common name in some Spanish-language cultures, but not other Christian cultures"?
Federal Judge: Florida Can't Block Felons From Regaining Voting Rights For Inability to Pay Fines
The ruling is a partial victory for civil liberties groups, who argue that lawmakers were subverting a constitutional amendment expected to restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians.
Georgia Intends to Execute This Man, Whether or Not He Pulled the Trigger
A DNA test might show that he didn't fire the shot that killed a clerk in 1994. But the law says he'd be guilty anyway.
New York City Council Votes To Build Four New Jails and To Close Notorious Rikers Island
But can the city commit to reducing its jail population—and will Rikers' infamous culture just be transplanted to the new jails?
'This Is a Culture War': Sex Work Decriminalization Bill in D.C. Draws 14 Hours of Passionate Public Testimony
From morning till past midnight, supporters and opponents of a bill to decriminalize prostitution offered starkly different visions of safety and rights.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Golf swingers, a gangrenous finger, and the ancient concept of "frolic."
Prison Guard Who Hid While Inmate Raped a Nurse Cannot Be Sued, Federal Court Rules
The 7th Circuit said the guard is protected by qualified immunity.
'Police Violence Is Also Gun Violence' Says Julian Castro, Arguing Against Mandatory Gun Buybacks
The former HUD Secretary is still terrible on guns, but at least he recognizes some of the costs of actually enforcing gun laws.
