"How Fortunate I Feel to Be an American and to Have Been Presented with the Remarkable Opportunities Available to the Citizens of Our Country"
A letter from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Criminal Justice
Three Judges, Four Opinions, and a Debate on Auer Deference
What more could you want from a sentencing guideline decision out of a U.S. Court of Appeals?
Georgia Mayor Has Plan To Round Up Town's Sex Offenders on Halloween
Another Halloween, another unfounded freak-out over sex offenders.
Migrant Caravan Hysteria Returns
There's no evidence this caravan is full of Middle Eastern terrorists.
A Law Intended to Protect Crime Victims Is Being Used to Shield the Identities of Police Officers
The vague wording of Marsy's Laws allows law enforcement to classify themselves as "victims" after shooting suspects.
A Texas Police Officer Is Charged After Mishandling 130 Sex Crime Cases
Victims worried their cases were not being handled correctly. An investigation proved them correct.
An Ohio University Student Said She Received Death Threats. The Police Think She Sent Them Herself.
The Student Senate has no regrets, will continue to believe survivors.
Heritage Foundation's Clerkship Boot Camp
It's fine for ideological groups to try to teach their ideas, including to interested future law clerks -- but not to try to limit how the students use those ideas.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Root canals, contraband dogs, and a marijuana petition.
Alabama's Biased, Punitive, and Expensive War on Marijuana Is Ruining Lives
Black people in Alabama are more than four times as likely to be arrested for a marijuana offense, according to a new report.
Columbus Cops Want Credit for Not Killing 2 Black Boys Who Had a BB Gun
Officer Peter Casuccio lectured the kids for endangering their lives by doing something that was perfectly legal.
Don't Call 911 About Weed, Say Helpful Toronto Cops
...with a little help from "Distracted Boyfriend" guy.
California Cops Can't Hide Body Cam Footage of Police Shootings Anymore
The new laws bring us closer to the state of affairs that existed before 2006, when a state Supreme Court decision slammed the door on police accountability.
Police Charge a 12-Year-Old Rapper With Felony After Mall Confrontation Over CD Sales
The Cobb County Police Department then blamed Corey J's aunt for escalating the confrontation.
Jamaican Musician Gets 8-Year Sentence for Weed He Says He Bought Legally
Patrick Beadle was convicted on a drug trafficking charge, even though there's very little evidence he was a dealer.
No, Feds Can't Force Backpage Founders to Give Up Longtime Lawyers, Rules Judge
The ruling is a major win for Backpage founders James Larkin and Michael Lacey, as well as a strike against government overreach.
Canada Will Expedite Record Sealing for People Convicted of Marijuana Crimes That Are No Longer Crimes
The plan does not go as far as it should, but it's still better than the policies of most U.S. states with legal pot.
Federal Judge Says Tennessee Shouldn't Punish Poor Drivers for Being Poor
The state can no longer suspend poor people's driver's licenses over unpaid traffic tickets, Judge Aleta Trauger ruled.
Poll Shows Wide Support For Criminal Justice Reform Bill In Congress
Prosecutor groups and criminal justice reform advocates are putting out dueling polls on a major bill in Congress.
Newly Released Video Challenges Cop's Story in Shooting of Autistic Teen
An off-duty Chicago Police Sergeant Khalil Muhammad said Ricardo Hayes was displaying a gun in an "armed confrontation."
Florida Judge Sentences Corrupt Cops to Prison, Slams Prosecution for "Slap on the Wrist"
Former Biscayne Park Officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez are going to prison after pinning burglaries on innocent black men.
Joe Arpaio Sues for $147 Million Over New York Times Op-Ed Slamming His Cruelty
The op-ed's claims are harsh, but they're also true.
Trump Slams 'Very Unfair' Drug Sentences
The president's comments could improve the prospects for federal penal reform.
Do I Owe It to My Criminal Relatives to Keep My Genes a Secret?
When genetic testing results become a tool for law enforcement
Judge Don Willett Stands Out on Criminal Justice Reform
The 5th Circuit judge weighs in on qualified immunity, criminal sentencing, and false imprisonment.
DNA Evidence Exonerates a Man Who Spent 19 Years in Prison for the Death of His Lover
The California Innocence Project helped free Horace Roberts from prison.
Maryland Cop Accused of Raping Undocumented Immigrant at Traffic Stop
Officer First Class Ryan Macklin has since been arrested and suspended without pay.
For Female Inmates, Talking Back is More Likely to End in a Trip to Solitary
Women prisoners are more likely to receive solitary confinement and other harsh punishments for minor infractions like "reckless eye-balling."
Court: Police Can't Shoot Unlicensed Dogs With Impunity
"Just as the police cannot destroy every unlicensed car or gun on the spot, they cannot kill every unlicensed dog on the spot."
After Police Detention for National Anthem Disrespect, Chinese Online Star Admits She 'Hurt Your Feelings'
Under Chinese law, disrespecting the national anthem is punishable by up to 15 days in jail.
A White Woman Falsely Accused a Black 9-Year-Old Boy of Groping Her
Surveillance footage disproves her allegations-and reminds everyone not to automatically believe victims.
Can a Constitutional Amendment Forestall the Threat of Court-Packing?
Jim Lindgren proposes a constitutional amendment banning court-packing. I'm all for it. But it can only pass if liberal Democrats get some reciprocal concession to support it.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Public defender shortfalls, warrantless rental inspections, and juveniles in solitary confinement.
'Florida's Worst Cop' Is Back on the Job…Again
Three arrests and six firings are not enough to keep Sgt. German Bosque from police work.
Writer Stephen Elliott Sues Over 'Shitty Media Men' Spreadsheet: Reason Roundup
Plus: libertarian accounts purged from Facebook?
Amicus Brief on Burdens of Proof for Compelled Decryption
The burden of proof matters, and it's an issue of first impression in appellate courts.
U.K. Supreme Court: Baker Doesn't Have to Place Pro-Gay Marriage Message on Cake
But the ruling isn't based on free speech or religious liberty
Michael Bloomberg Is No Defender of the Constitution
The former New York mayor's authoritarian record shows he has no real love for America's founding document.
Strip Club Staffers Arrested With Stormy Daniels Sue, Claiming Cops Lied As Republican Retaliation
Police initially said the arrests were part of "a long-term investigation into...human trafficking" and prostitution.
President Trump and Kanye West Talk Prisons, Flyness, and Stop and Frisk
The pair discussed reforms at the White House.
Washington State Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty
According to the court, "The death penalty is invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner."
The Supreme Court Will Hear Two Big Criminal Justice Cases Later This Year
The Court could strike a major blow for civil asset forfeiture reforms in the states and finally do away with an awful double jeopardy loophole.
