Local News Uncritically Publicizes Mother's Kidnapping Freakout
A mom says her daughter was almost abducted at a rest stop. That's a stretch.
Criminal Justice
Trump Should Hurt Sessions by Helping Drug Offenders
Commutations for people serving absurdly long sentences would be a great new way to torture the attorney general.
The Case Against Qualified Immunity, Part II
Although the Supreme Court says qualified immunity is necessary to protect government officials from financial liability and the costs and burdens of litigation, all available evidence suggests the doctrine fails to achieve these intended policy goals.
The Clever Red State Lawsuit Against the Individual Mandate, and the Justice Department's Disappointing Response
The latest state challenge to the ACA is clever. The Justice Department's response is not.
The Case Against the Case Against the Mueller Investigation
Noted attorney George Conway dismantles the constitutional arguments against Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation
The Case Against Qualified Immunity, Part I
If the Supreme Court takes Justice Thomas's suggestion to reconsider qualified immunity and takes seriously available evidence about qualified immunity's historical precedents and current operation, the Court could not justify continued existence of the doctrine in its current form.
My Guest Appearance on First Mondays: "Stale Cake"
I discuss last week's Supreme Court opinions and much more with Professors Dan Epps and Ian Samuel.
Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions
Defamation insurance, child labor, and a virulently racist attorney.
On This Day in History: The Curious Death of George Wythe, Founding Father and Nation's First Law Professor
Did his murderer walk because Virginia law did not permit African Americans to testify against whites?
Expect Fully Legal Weed Within 5 Years, Says Former Top Pharma Lobbyist and Congressman Billy Tauzin
He has been a Democrat, a Republican, a lobbyist, and a cancer survivor. Now he wants to end the war on weed.
Trump to Kneeling NFL Players: Tell Me Who I Should Pardon
The president has discovered the power of the pardon. Could that make this a moment for criminal justice reform?
Georgia Cops Jail an Elderly Woman for Mouthing Off to a Code Enforcement Officer
A 75-year-old woman who threatened to call a code enforcement officer's supervisor ended up in jail.
Brazilian Anthropologists Say Killing Twin, Disabled, or Transgender Children (Even When Their Parents Object) Ought to Be Tolerated, So Long as the Perpetrators are from One of Those … Er … Unassimilated Indigenous Tribes
And woe to anyone who attempts to inform tribal members that there may be alternatives to their traditional practices.
Lawsuit Against Snapchat Encouraging Speeding Can Proceed
The Georgia Court of Appeals rejected Snapchat's federal 47 U.S.C. sec. 230 defense, though Snapchat may still win under Georgia law.
Kim Kardashian West Asked Trump to Commute Alice Johnson's Life Sentence. He Just Did.
Leave it to Kim Kardashian West to secure freedom for a prisoner of the drug war (seriously, she's good at it).
Recalling Aaron Persky, the Judge Who Showed Brock Turner Leniency, Is a Mistake That Will Haunt Progressives
California voters just encouraged judges to show no mercy.
(When) Should Lower Courts Try to Predict Supreme Court Rulings?
A plea for a more refined view, inspired by yesterday's decision in Hughes.
D.C. Candidates Battle Over Decriminalizing Sex Work
With the D.C. primary approaching, candidates are quizzed on a bill that would decriminalize prostitution in the district.
Parkland Activist David Hogg Victim of 'Swatting.' Was It Attempted Murder?
Filing false police reports isn't funny. It can get people killed.
Did Trump Obstruct Justice? Does It Matter?
Conduct that does not meet the legal criteria for an obstruction charge could still be serious enough to justify impeachment.
Lifetime Sex Offender Registration for 18-Year-Old Who Chatted Online with 15-Year-Old
Actually having sex would just be a misdemeanor.
New York's Solicitor General Wants to Close the 'Double Jeopardy Loophole' So She Can Punish Pardoned Trump Cronies
Barbara Underwood is outraged by the president's use of his clemency power, and she wants state legislators to do something about it.
Woman's Jersey Beach Beatdown by Police Goes Viral
How did an accusation of underage drinking end up with a 20-year-old eating sand?
Rhode Island Wants to Treat Drug Dealers Like Murderers
The Democrat-controlled Rhode Island state Senate agrees with President Donald Trump that harsher punishments are needed for drug dealers. Wrong!
Cops Question Family for Cooking Mushrooms
"I figured a police officer would know what illegal drugs looked like."
American Brazenly Robbed of $58,100 Life Savings by Federal Agents at Cleveland Airport
Rustem Kazazi was victimized by desperadoes from a gang called "Customs and Border Patrol," but thanks to the Institute for Justice he's fighting back.
Bail Reform Efforts Are Backfiring in Baltimore, Leading to More People Stuck in Jail
Judges were told not require cash bail from defendants who were too poor to pay. Instead they're not offering bail at all.
Georgia Kidnapped This Boy Because His Parents Used Marijuana to Stop His Seizures
Although the state recognizes cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy, it says letting your son use it is "reckless conduct."
When You're Done Reading This Issue of Reason, You Might Want to Burn It
We offer how-tos, personal stories, and guides for all kinds of activities that can and do happen right at the borders of legally permissible behavior.
Ross Ulbricht Is Serving a Double Life Sentence
His mother, Lyn Ulbricht, talks about her son's life in maximum security prison and their Supreme Court hopes for the Silk Road case.
Eighteen Is Old Enough for War But Not Sexting, Say Ohio Lawmakers
The House Criminal Justice Committee just voted unanimously in favor of a bill to ban sexting by anyone under age 19.
An Overdose Is Not a Murder
Treating opioid-related deaths as homicides is unjust and may deter bystanders from seeking help.
This Man Was Released From Prison and Rebuilt His Life; Two Years Later He Got Sent Back Because of an 'Error'
Now writers, activists, and thousands of readers are calling on Trump to commute Matthew Charles' sentence.
Supreme Court Rules 8-1 Against Warrantless Police Search in Important Fourth Amendment Case
SCOTUS rejects warrantless search of vehicle parked in the "curtilage" of private home.
An MSU Student Said an Athlete Raped Her. Officials Found Him Innocent, Then Expelled Him—and He Had No Idea.
A Title IX case involving a black male athlete and a white female accuser raises serious due process concerns.
Sexual Assault Allegation Against George Takei Collapses Under Scrutiny
Star Trek actor is a victim of #MeToo overreach.
Video: Canton Police Sic Dog On Man For Refusing to Get Out Of His Car
"Stop fighting the dog!"
How We Became a 'Nation of Narcs' and How To Fix It: Podcast
Reason's Mike Riggs discusses how class anxiety, busybodyism, and a lack of empathy are making America a less-great country.
