Criminal Justice
Rampant Criminal Laws Make Bullies and Tyrants Rejoice
When "almost anyone can be arrested for something," no one is safe.
Police Officer Threatens To Shoot Pregnant Woman After Her Child Took Barbie From Family Dollar Store
"There is no situation in which this behavior is ever close to acceptable," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
Gorsuch Joins Ginsburg in Decrying a 'Colossal Exception' to the Ban on Double Jeopardy
The Trump appointee is not impressed by the logic of the "dual sovereignty" doctrine: "Really?"
Appellate Court Upholds Constitutionality of Federal Hate Crimes Act Conviction Based on the Commerce Clause
The decision is a complicated ruling that potentially sets a dangerous precedent for the scope of federal power under the Constitution.
A Judge Called His Mandatory Sentence 'Excessive' and 'Wrong.' Less Than a Year Later He Died In Federal Prison
Frederick Turner was sentenced to a mandatory 40 years on nonviolent drug and firearm charges. He ended up in a high-security federal prison, and now he's dead.
His Father Was Murdered. He Helped End the Death Penalty Anyway.
“I wanted to be more than somebody who is the son of a murder victim.”
To Hold but Not to Have: California's Marijuana Laws Get Weird When You're in Jail
It's not illegal for inmates to have marijuana, but it's still a felony if they try to smoke it.
Can the Fourth Amendment Save Us from the Coming Era of Pervasive Biometric Surveillance?
New technologies mean new crimesolving techniques—and new threats to privacy and liberty.
St. Louis Ordered to Stop Keeping People Imprisoned Just Because They Cannot Afford Bail
People charged—but not convicted—of crimes often have to wait weeks to see a judge if they’re too poor to pay for their freedom.
The City of Vallejo, California, Has a Police Problem—and It's All Being Caught on Camera
A small city in California has been plagued by police shootings, costly civil rights lawsuits, and incidents of excessive force.
Did Craig Hicks Murder His Neighbors Because They Were Muslims? Should It Matter Legally?
The debate about whether the killer should have been prosecuted for federal hate crimes shows how the Justice Department targets defendants based on the opinions they express.
Asset Forfeiture Funding Has Little Impact on Solving Crimes, Says New Study
A new study by the Institute for Justice says federal asset forfeiture funds have little to no impact on solving crimes, suggesting police are more interested in the revenue it generates
1,051 Crack Sentence Reductions Illustrate Painful Progress Toward a Less Mindlessly Punitive Justice System
On average, crack offenders who have benefited from the FIRST STEP Act will serve 14 years instead of 20.
How Oakland Cops Gamed the System To Earn $30 Million in Overtime Pay
A new audit reveals how poor oversight and structural problems allowed one Oakland cop to earn $2.5 million in overtime pay in five years.
Scott Daniel Warren Is Free (for Now) After Jury Can't Reach Verdict on Charges for Aiding Migrants
Plus: Amash says the "two-party system is hurting America," Zuckerberg gets deepfaked, Wonkette's lame defense of Harris, and more...
Does Letting Witness Testify Wearing Partial Veil Violate the Confrontation Clause?
Depends on how much of the face it covers, the California Court of Appeal seems to suggest.
ACLU Says Harvard 'Sacrificed Principles Central to Our Legal System' When It Fired Ron Sullivan
The civil liberties giant defends a law professor who took on Harvey Weinstein as a client.
You Can Get 5 Years in Prison for Selling Llama Poop, and Other Ludicrous Laws
Mike Chase, the man behind the popular @CrimeADay Twitter feed, on his new book, How to Become a Federal Criminal
Kamala Harris Tries (Again) to Rewrite Her History as a Prosecutor of Petty Crimes
Plus: YouTube moderation, over-the-counter birth control, craft brewery regulation, New York prostitution laws, and more...
Cop Arrests Mom for Letting Kids Wait in Car During 10-Minute Errand
A Pennsylvania mom faces reckless endangerment charges for assuming her children—ages 2, 5, and 7—could survive a very short wait.
Migrant Kids As Young As 5 Were Left in Vans Overnight While Waiting to Reunite With Their Families
It took 39 hours for every child to be reunited with their parents.
Was Scot Peterson's Cowardice a Crime?
The criminal charges against the former Broward County sheriff's deputy for failing to intervene in the Parkland shooting seem like a stretch.
Newly Released Files Document the FBI's Participation in the Hunt for Bigfoot
During the 1970s, an FBI crime lab analyzed a purported sample of Bigfoot hair.
Do You Feel Safer Knowing the FBI Has Access To 640 Million (!) Headshots?
Don't worry, a spokesman tells Congress, the agency has "strict policies" for using facial recognition technology.
D.C. Sex Workers Want Decriminalization—and City Council Members Agree
'We know what we want to do with our bodies, and we don't need government interference.'
San Francisco Police Got a Warrant to Monitor a Journalist's Phone Before Raiding His Apartment
The move is an assault on the First Amendment.
Nobody Should Be Placed in Solitary Confinement—Not Even Paul Manafort
Paul Manafort isn’t deserving of torture. Neither was Kalief Browder.
Alabama Passes New Transparency Requirements for Civil Asset Forfeiture
Alabama is one of the least transparent states in the U.S. when it comes to civil asset forfeiture. That could be changing.
That Time Michael Moynihan Got Handcuffed at a NYC Checkpoint for an Unpaid 1998 Speeding Ticket
The most hilarious overpolicing story you'll hear this week, on the latest Fifth Column podcast
Texas Police Union Kills Effort To Close State's 'Dead Suspect Loophole'
Texas law lets police hide records of suspects who die in custody from grieving families. It could have been fixed, but a police union torpedoed the reform bill.
The NYPD Underreported Rape Due to an Outdated Definition of the Crime
The NYPD failed to update its crime-tracking system—and underreported rape by 38 percent.
New Car Crash Study Highlights the Irrationality of DUI Laws Based on THC in Drivers' Blood
The researchers found no statistically significant relationship between testing positive for THC and contributing to accidents.
$6.75 Million Awarded to the Family of a Milwaukee Jail Inmate Who Died From Dehydration
The jail, which saw several deaths, was overseen by former Sheriff David Clarke at the time.
Illinois Is on the Verge of Legalizing Marijuana. Here Is What the Bill Would Do.
New York legislators also are taking another shot at legalization.
New Hampshire Just Abolished the Death Penalty
State lawmakers reached across the aisle for a bipartisan push against capital punishment.
A 16-Year-Old Girl Is Facing Child Pornography Charges for Making a Sex Video of Herself
A finding of guilt would be an attack on the autonomy and self-ownership of all young people
