Did Trump's 2016 Rallies Trigger a 226% Increase in Local Hate Crimes? Not Exactly.
The study at the source of the viral headline was limited to counting anti-Semitic incidents, many of which were not criminal in nature.
Criminal Justice
Secret Memos Show the Government Has Been Lying About Backpage All Along
Sealed memos fought over in federal court last week show authorities have known for years that claims about Backpage were bogus.
Ex-Sheriff and Failed Senate Candidate Joe Arpaio Announces He Will Run for Maricopa County Sheriff Again
Arpaio lost his re-election bid in 2016 and was later convicted of criminal contempt by a federal judge.
My Upcoming Speaking Engagements [Updated]
My upcoming public speaking engagements over the next several months - almost all of which are free and open to the public.
Houston Narcotics Cop Who Instigated a Deadly Drug Raid Is Charged With Murder
Gerald Goines justified the raid, which killed a middle-aged couple, based on a heroin purchase that apparently never happened.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Crazy pills, a toy gun, and an anomalous elector.
Another Court Invalidates 2015 WOTUS Rule
As we await the Trump Administration to finalize a new definition of "waters of the United States," federal courts continue to reject the Obama Administration's effort
Judge Don Willett Butts Heads With Fellow Trump Appointees Over Qualified Immunity for Cops
“Modern immunity practice—essentially 'heads government wins, tails plaintiffs lose'—leaves many victims violated but not vindicated."
When Governments Act on Fear and Panic, Injustice Is Often the Result
It's necessary to confront the threat of white nationalism on the political right, but it must be done without handing new powers to law enforcement and government.
North Carolina Court Deepens Split on Private Searches of Digital Evidence
An important Fourth Amendment issue that may be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Court Rules Cop Who Shot Unarmed 15-Year-Old Is Protected by Qualified Immunity
The ruling once again shows the legal disgrace that is qualified immunity.
Lawsuit: Florida Inmate Thrown In Solitary for Biting Guard While Having Seizure
Dean Higgins claims he was put in a cell that regularly flooded with raw sewage for seven months after he bit a guard while having an involuntary seizure.
Florida Cops Arrest a 15-Year-Old Boy for Joking About Perpetrating a Mass Shooting
"Joke or not, these types of comments are felonies under the law," says the Volusia County Sheriff's Office
Is Your Hometown Balancing Its Budget by Fining Everybody It Can? Here's How To Find Out.
Governing puts together a database of cities and towns addicted to money from fines and forfeitures.
China Escalates Hong Kong Conflict By Detaining Consulate Staffer
Simon Cheng Man-kit, a staffer at the British Consulate in Hong Kong, hasn't returned from a trip he took to mainland China nearly two weeks ago.
Texas Is Executing a Man Tonight for a Murder and Rape Experts Say He Didn't Commit
Forensic experts claim there is no way Larry Swearingen raped and killed Melissa Trotter. The state is still putting him to death.
States May Not Cancel Votes of "Faithless" Presidential Electors
So a Tenth Circuit panel held yesterday.
It Wasn't Just a Chokehold That Killed Eric Garner
His death resulted from a violent confrontation that never should have happened.
The Fifth Circuit Divides on Qualified Immunity, and Originalism
Judges Ho and Oldham: "Originalism for plaintiffs, but not for police officers, is not principled judging. Originalism for me, but not for thee, is not originalism at all."
4 Businessmen Used Cash and Casino Chips as Bribes to Secure Mississippi Prison Contracts
They're the latest to plead guilty in the Mississippi Department of Corrections bribing scheme.
My Review of an Important New Book on the Supreme Court's Impact on American Federalism
The book by political scientist Michael Dichio argues that the Court has done more to promote centralization than protect states, and is the most thorough analysis to date, of this longstanding issue..
Bernie Sanders Calls for Legalizing Marijuana and Curtailing Asset Forfeiture in Sprawling Criminal Justice Plan
Sanders' plan takes aim at every part of the justice system, including typical Sanders targets like private prisons and corporate "profiteers."
Prosecution of Unauthorized Abortion Pill Websites Begins
Ursula Wing sold abortion drugs to U.S. customers and is now charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Interesting New York Times Slavery Project Hobbled by Anti-Capitalism
Also: the politics of recession, Bernie's criminal justice plan, and stanning for Barry Manilow, all on the Reason Podcast
Justice Department Shakes Up Bureau of Prisons Leadership Following Jeffrey Epstein's Death
Criminal justice reformers say the federal prison system is in desperate need of more oversight.
NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo Is Fired 5 Years After Placing Eric Garner in a Chokehold
An internal disciplinary hearing found him guilty of recklessly causing physical injury.
Kamala Harris Promises To 'Disarm Violent Hate' by Seizing Guns From Bigots
The Democratic presidential contender suggests that "racist threats or anti-immigrant manifestos" could justify federal gun confiscation orders.
Lawsuit Against Rappers for Attack by Their Employees in Sneaker Store
The defendants are "Stunna 4 Vegas" and "Dababy"-run company Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment, LLC.
Iowa Cops Buy an Armored Vehicle With $300,000 in Asset Forfeiture Funds
It's a nasty mix of police militarization and civil asset forfeiture.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
A fake university, safe and sanitary conditions, and old school equal protection.
Jeffrey Epstein Is Dead Because His Jailers Neglected Him. He's Not the Only One.
The most unusual thing about Jeffrey Epstein dying in a federal jail was how quickly the Justice Department sprang into action to investigate it.
After Spending 23 Years in Prison for a Murder He Didn't Commit, Ricky Kidd Is Going Home
Reason previously shared the story of Ricky Kidd's wrongful conviction in April.
Today Is the 95th Anniversary of Playwright Robert Bolt's Birth
His stage and screen plays are worth taking a look at.
When a 'Controlled Buy' Turns Into a Daytime Parking Lot Shootout
A drug bust gone wrong in a Pittsburgh suburb leaves the suspect dead, an agent injured, and kids and shoppers terrified.
James Alan Fox: There Is No Evidence of an 'Epidemic of Mass Shootings'
The nation's leading scholar of mass shootings explains how media coverage of horrific events such as El Paso and Dayton stoke unwarranted fear and anxiety.
Man Fights City Hall for Ability To Keep 'Emotional Support' Pigs
Larry Johnson's pet pigs have run afoul of Minneapolis' ban on city swine.
If You're Near the Scene of a Crime, Authorities Can Demand That Google Hand Over Your Data
Quiet fishing expeditions are being used to sort through potential suspects.
FBI Rebrands National Sex Sting as 'Operation Independence Day'
The operation is still arresting sex workers and calling it a rescue mission.
Court Sides With Prison Guards Who Forced Female Inmates To Expose Genitals During Training Exercise
The search raised Fourth Amendment concerns.
