Criminal Justice
It's Just Like Saying the N—– Word
The flag of those who supported the dissolution of the Union.
Justices Thomas and Sotomayor Debate Legislative History
Are Committee Reports and other legislative documents helpful guides to legislative intent?
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel Won't Resign, Says His Leadership Has Been 'Amazing'
Israel: "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, O.J. Simpson would still be in the record books."
Justice Bagenstos?
A prominent progressive law professor seeks a seat on the Michigan Supreme Court
Final Pre-Argument Thoughts on the Microsoft Case
Three thoughts about the briefing in the case ahead of Tuesday's oral argument.
Supreme Court Ruling Means More People Who Plead Guilty Can Appeal
A self-proclaimed "constitutional bounty hunter" is unlikely to be freed, but his case sets a significant precedent for criminal appeals.
Nametags at Conferences: Three Fails
Three errors conference organizers often make with nametags, and how to avoid them.
Gun Violence Restraining Orders Could Cause More Police Shootings
Unless crafted carefully, the proposal could set up more standoffs between armed citizens and police.
Duty to Retreat from One's Home, When Attacked by a Cohabitant?
Even states that generally impose a "duty to retreat" before using deadly self-defense exclude self-defense in the home -- but what if the self-defense is against a cohabitant?
New Federal Charges Filed Against Manafort, Gates
A total of 32 claims of tax and bank fraud in concealing foreign income.
Philly D.A. Larry Krasner Ends Cash Bail for Many Offenses, Some Felonies
The new district attorney's reform train keeps rolling.
Emergency Hearing to Address Fate of Pregnant Prisoners in California
"Time is truly of the essence here," said a lawyer for women imprisoned at Santa Rita Jail.
"We Are Not Crows"—and yet ….
A Louisiana statute applies when a parent who shares custodial rights moves with a child more than 75 miles from the child's principal residence -- is that as the crow flies, or as MapQuest calculates?
People Stuck in Jail Because They're Poor Have New Hope
Potential pretrial reforms for those locked up in Nashville, Atlanta, Philly, or the Golden State.
City Orders Businesses to Join Its Police Surveillance System
Saginaw demands that establishments install video cameras and turn over footage.
Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions
Wealth-based pretrial detention, resegregation, and violent retribution for political participation.
Should We Expect More from Our Elected Officials?
Are there constitutional obligations above and beyond the legal requirements of office?
A Cure for Mass Shootings Doesn't Exist
There are no plausible options that offer more than the faintest prospect of preventing the next massacre.
The Space Shuttle and Reasonable Doubt
"During voir dire, the prosecutor showed the potential jurors an incomplete puzzle of a space shuttle (with only sixty-six percent of the pieces present), stated that the image was a space shuttle 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' and asked the potential jurors whether anyone disagreed, which none did; the prosecutor also showed the image during closing arguments."
9 Women Describe Horrific Treatment at the Hands of Their Jailers
In California's Santa Rita Jail, pregnant inmates were pressured to have abortions, forced to go without food, and made to live in unsanitary conditions, a new lawsuit alleges.
Tennessee Bill Would Make It Easier for Ex-Convicts to Get Jobs
Lawmakers are right to seek occupational licensing reform.
Jeff Sessions and Chuck Grassley Spar Over Sentencing Reform
"If General Sessions wanted to be involved in marking up this legislation, maybe he should have quit his job and run for the Republican Senate seat in Alabama."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg > "Notorious RBG"
Professor Rick Hasen on why its a bad idea to treat Supreme Court justices like celebrities (and why justices should not embrace their celebrity either).
More Cops in Schools Is the Wrong Answer to Mass Shootings
Some pundits want school security to be as pointlessly intrusive as airport security.
Episode 203: Interview with Glenn Gerstell
NSA's General Counsel speaks on 702, cybersecurity, and more
Don't Know Much About History
Quite a line about World War II from a history book for children.
Adjunct Prof: "Australia Is a Continent; It Is Not a Country"
Instructor gives F to student for calling Australia a country; university fires instructor.
Did Trump's Lawyer Pay Stormy Daniels Out of His Own Pocket?
A minor point, but it's not what his statement says.
Two Baltimore Police Officers Found Guilty of Armed Robbery, Racketeering
The trial of two Gun Trace Task Force members sheds light on a deeply dysfunctional department.
Alabama Prosecutor, Sheriff Threaten to Put More People in Prison in Order to Keep Seizing Massive Amounts of Property
Lawmakers are considering long-overdue civil asset forfeiture reform, and law enforcement leaders aren't happy.
81 Federal Prisoners Have Died While Waiting for the Government to Decide If They Were Sick Enough to Go Home
The Justice Department has finally shared data from the "compassionate release" program, and the numbers aren't pretty.
The Anglo-American Office of Sheriff
Americans' right to elect their Sheriffs comes from ancient English legal tradition.
Should the Sex Offender Registry Be Abolished? A Live Debate.
Watch Sociologist Emily Horowitz vs. Marci Hamilton of CHILD USA at the Soho Forum.
Bank Recommendations, Especially for Banks with Good Online Banking Systems?
I've long been disappointed with my bank, U.S. Bank, chiefly because of its online banking system, which seems badly antiquated.
West Virginia Cop Fired For Not Shooting Suicidal Man Settles Lawsuit Against City
"The termination of Stephen Mader was yet another incident exposing the toxic culture that infects far too many police departments in America."
Florida Cops Used Drones to Foil a Suicide Attempt
Cop tech can facilitate better policing, but it urgently needs more oversight.