Criminal Justice
How the Military Exposed the Tools That Let Authorities Break Into Phones
The Marine Corps is trying to close a no-bid contract with Cellebrite, a company that helps police get into locked phones. The specs weren’t supposed to be public.
Trump Adds 3 More Names to the List of Enemies He Wants the Justice Department To Prosecute
"There was tremendous criminal activity," the president averred, urging unspecified charges against former Special Counsel Jack Smith, former FBI lawyer Andrew Weissmann, and former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
Texas City Council Approves $500,000 Payment to Former Member Who Said Her Advocacy Led to a Bogus Arrest
The settlement, which followed Sylvia Gonzalez's victory at the Supreme Court, also includes remedial First Amendment training for city officials.
ICE Agent Who Took Upskirt Photos of Flight Attendant Says It Wasn't a Crime Because He Was Sneaky
Um, no, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit says, upholding his conviction.
SCOTUS Probably Won't Put Any New Limits on Warrantless Home Searches
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week about the "emergency aid exception" to the Fourth Amendment.
The NRA Supports SCOTUS Petitioners Who Lost Their Gun Rights Because of Nonviolent Offenses
The cases give the justices a chance to address a constitutionally dubious policy that disarms peaceful Americans.
Can Police Enter Your Home Without a Warrant? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide.
Even well-intentioned “community caretaking” can’t justify ignoring the Fourth Amendment.
He Was Charged With a Federal Offense for Running Up a Mountain
Michelino Sunseri broke the trail running record on Grand Teton but was prosecuted for "shortcutting" on a commonly used trail.
Video Shows Federal Agents Arresting a Chicago Journalist. They Now Say She Threw Objects at Their Vehicle.
The arrest comes less than a day after a federal judge ordered federal law enforcement to stop impeding reporters and protesters.
This Indiana City Doesn't Have To Pay an Innocent Mom $16,000 After Police Wrecked Her Home, Court Rules
Law enforcement launched 30 tear gas canisters into Amy Hadley's home, smashed windows, ransacked furniture, destroyed security cameras, and more. The government gave her nothing.
Trump Won't Invoke the Insurrection Act—As Long As He Can Use the National Guard However He Wants
If the courts try to enforce legal limits on the president's military deployments, he can resort to an alarmingly broad statute that gives him more discretion.
Tennessee Man Arrested, Gets $2 Million Bond for Posting Facebook Meme
Larry Bushart posted a meme on a local Facebook page about Charlie Kirk. He now faces years in prison.
Deploying Troops to American Cities Is an Assault on the Constitution
Federal troops are also ill-suited to handle local policing issues.
'Louisiana Lockup' Detention Center Is Punishing Immigrants for the Same Crime Twice, New Lawsuit Says
Oscar Amaya has been held in federal immigration custody for over six months after receiving a final order of removal, raising serious constitutional concerns about how long the government can detain people.
What's Really at Stake in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case?
From pretrial detention to the threat of foreign rendition, the Abrego Garcia case shows how political prosecutions and coercive plea deals have eroded the promise of a fair trial.
Texas Court Blocks Execution of Robert Roberson in Landmark 'Shaken Baby' Case
Roberson has been saved again from becoming the first person to be executed based on disputed evidence of Abusive Head Trauma, formerly called "shaken baby syndrome."
Trump Calls for Arrest of Chicago Mayor and Illinois Gov. Pritzker
As Illinois resists the federal immigration blitz, the Trump administration ups the ante on authoritarian rhetoric.
Is Restitution Punishment?
Next week, if the Supreme Court decides to reach the merits in the U.S. v. Ellingburg case, it should recognize that restitution to crime victims serves compensatory rather than penal purposes.
Why the Supreme Court Should DIG Ellingburg v. U.S. Next Week
The Court granted cert to review whether criminal restitution under the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act is "penal" in character. But the defendant was ordered to pay restitution under a different statute.
Alligator Alcatraz Was Built on Secrecy, Expansive Emergency Powers, and an Unprecedented State Power Grab
Shadowy deals and unilateral powers created Florida's notorious immigration detention camp.
Civil Rights Group Sues ICE for Withholding Records of the Agency's Detention Expansion Plans in Virginia
Lawyers at America's largest civil liberties group say the agency’s lack of transparency violates federal disclosure requirements.
Warrantless Searches, Tariffs, and the Unitary Executive: 3 SCOTUS Cases To Watch This Fall
In a new Supreme Court term packed with big cases, these disputes stand out.
Photo: Trump Sends His Drug Cops To See the Sights in D.C.
Rather than targeting cartels, DEA agents are patrolling tourist areas, setting up checkpoints, and even cleaning up litter.
Does Bari Weiss Prove Woke Media Is Collapsing?
Plus: the legality of Trump’s National Guard deployments, Democrat A.G. nominee’s leaked texts about shooting GOP rival, and what Argentina’s crisis means for libertarians.
Trump Sued—Again—for Unlawful and Unconstitutional Deployment of National Guard
This is the second lawsuit in a week challenging the Trump administration's National Guard deployments absent a qualifying emergency.
Sending in the Guard
Plus: Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case, what's wrong with emergency rooms, and more...
Defending the Summary Execution of Suspected Drug Smugglers, Trump Declares an 'Armed Conflict'
The president thinks he can transform murder into self-defense by executive fiat.
Deploying Federal Troops Is Not a Sustainable Solution to Crime in American Cities
Federal officers policing Washington, D.C., on Trump's orders appear to be driving crime down, but the plan is neither constitutionally sound nor viable in the long term.
Demanding Charges Against His Enemies, Trump Conflates Justice With Revenge
The legal rationales for prosecuting James Comey, Adam Schiff, and Letitia James suggest the president is determined to punish them one way or another.
Oregon Sues Trump Administration Over 'Unlawful' National Guard Federalization
The administration ordered the federalization of 200 Oregon National Guard members for 60 days, citing the same suspect legal authority used to send troops to California earlier this year.
ICE Doesn't Want You To Know Why They Bought a Phone Cracking System
The agency has been expanding its surveillance capabilities without a public explanation.
Assata Shakur Stood With the Oppressors
The supposed freedom fighter allied with a government known for imprisoning dissidents, curtailing civil liberties, and forging equality in the sense that people are more equally oppressed.
In Trump's Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
The administration is pursuing a vendetta, but Comey and the FBI deserve scrutiny and reduced stature.
Trump's Public Comments Could Further Complicate the Shaky Case Against James Comey
By demanding that the Justice Department punish the former FBI director for wronging him, the president provided evidence to support a claim of selective or vindictive prosecution.
Immigrants Arrested During Federal Takeover of D.C. Police Are Suing ICE and Other Federal Agencies
Five plaintiffs are arguing that several mass immigration arrests in the nation’s capital were made without probable cause.
Kash Patel Tellingly Ties James Comey's Indictment to the Legally Unrelated 'Russiagate Hoax'
The FBI director's portrayal of the case exemplifies the emptiness of his promise that there would be "no retributive actions" against the president's enemies.
Trump Bashed Other Countries for Their Immigrant Crime Rates. Here's Why He Didn't Mention the U.S.
Trump railed against migrant crime abroad but skipped U.S. stats—because immigrants here are locked up far less often than native-born Americans.
