Criminal Justice
I Became a Pot Felon at 18. I'm Owed More Than an Apology.
Maybe reparations from the federal government are in order.
DOJ Retreats From Speech-Chilling Demand for Information About Trump's Opponents
Federal prosecutors say they did not realize how broad their warrant was.
Police Union Tries to Cast Criticism of Police as 'Blue Racism'
A desperate attempt to deflect accountability shows exactly what they think of themselves.
Forfeiture Loot Corrupts Justice
When law enforcement agencies make money by seizing property, due process vanishes.
Indianapolis Cops Violated the Constitution by Holding Cars for Six Months Without Filing Forfeiture Paperwork
Violations of the Fourth and 15th Amendment, judge says
The Busiest Little Cop in the Bronx
Domestic violence! False arrest! Proposing a sex-for-favors swap! This officer has done it all. (Allegedly.)
Seattle Bans Landlords from Running Criminal Background Checks
A textbook case of good intentions gone awry
Taxpayers Pay Steep Price For Coddling Bad Cops
After a large jury verdict award over a rapist cop, the Orange County Sheriff's Department says it's looking into changing its policies.
Kmele vs. DeRay, and Trump's Cherished History: The New Fifth Column
Arguments over Charlottesville, confessions of collegiate evangelizing, and a Q&A with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson
Police Won't Say Whether Cops Caught Fabricating Charges Were Disciplined
Citing state laws and union contracts
African Americans Are Eight Times More Likely to Be Victims of Homicide Than Whites, Says CDC
The murder rate fell from 9.8 per 100,000 residents in 1991 to 4.5 in 2014; it's estimated at 5.3 for 2016.
How Backpage and Similar Sites Are Crucial in Fight Against Sex Trafficking
A new paper in the Wake Forest Law Review explores "the virtues of unvirtuous spaces" when it comes to stopping sexual exploitation.
Illinois Legislators Urge Cops to Designate Neo-Nazis as Terrorists. They Should Be More Concerned With White Supremacists in Police Ranks.
State and local governments have made it possible for cops to largely act with impunity.
Gov. Cuomo Wants a New Hate Crime Law. Would Police Use It to Suppress Protests?
Enhanced sentences for rioting against a "protected class"? In two states, that now includes law enforcement.
Texas Cops Spent 11 Minutes Searching a Woman's Vagina, Found No Drugs
Harris County deputies were initially indicted for the "offensive and shocking" search, but those charges were dropped last week.
After Ending Obama-era Commission, Justice Department Announces New Forensic Science Review
Some criminal justice groups worry the group will not be independent.
Does Anti-Pot Prejudice Explain NRA's Reluctance to Condemn Philando Castile Shooting?
The organization's spokesperson seems to think Castile's cannabis consumption is relevant, but it's not clear why.
Cops Dig Desperately for a Picture That Can Send a Harmless Old Man to Jail
Prosecutors say the former professor poses no threat but should be locked up anyway.
New York City to Dismiss Hundreds of Thousands of Old Warrants for Minor Crimes
Should we credit the crackdown on immigration enforcement?
Trump Wants to Arrest His Way Out of the Opioid Overdose Crisis
The president lacks subtlety or substance over a chronic public health problem-go figure.
Police Serve Warrant to Wrong Address, Kill Man Who Lives There
Authorities say they were trying to serve an arrest warrant for a man wanted for assault.
Profiling and Prostitution Pre-Crime in Georgia
In one case, a person whose legal identity was listed as male was arrested for sitting at a bus stop while "dressed as a woman" and carrying condoms.
Poor and Minority Neighborhoods Bear the Brunt of Asset Forfeiture in Las Vegas
Data obtained by a Nevada think tank show where Las Vegas police use civil asset forfeiture.
Chicago Launches Legal Fight with Justice Department over Sanctuary City Threats
Again left urban leadership embraces federalism, but for the purpose of protecting funds for police militarization.
They Won't Stop at Backpage
The "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act" would not stop sexual exploitation. But it could blow up the legal framework that supports the internet as we know it.
Jeff Sessions Is Taking Law Enforcement Back to the 1980s
On asset forfeiture, prison sentences, and police oversight, Trump's beleaguered attorney general is rolling back decades of progress.
Missouri Attorney General Hawley Files Desperate and Deceptive Motion to Dismiss Backpage Lawsuit
AG Josh Hawley's "new evidence" against the U.S. company is actions carried out by foreign contractors for foreign websites.
Federal Judge Notes Good Done by Gay Escort Site, Sentences Founder to Six Months in Prison
The law must be followed, even if breaking the law actually makes people safer.
Fatal NYPD Shooting Reveals Weak Policies, Ineffective Discipline
Emotionally disturbed man shot and killed before any trained professionals could arrive.
Baltimore Drops Dozens of Criminal Cases over Allegations of Planted Drugs
But for the body camera footage…
Sexual Consent in Seattle Must Involve Element of 'Leisure,' Claims Top Cop
What Korean sex workers "were doing could not be called consensual because they were being paid," Val Richey tells The Seattle Times.
Congress Wants to Know Why the BOP Won't Let Elderly Prisoners Go Home to Die
"Compassionate release" is an excellent tool that the BOP refuses to use.
Get a Speeding Ticket, Pay the DA for Better Treatment
Louisiana's pre-trial diversion programs helps drivers avoid higher insurance premiums-and enriches DAs' offices.
Plunge in Pretrial Jail Detention Follows Bail Reforms in New Jersey
Twenty percent fewer people stuck in cells simply because they cannot afford to pay
Rep. Justin Amash: The Two-Party System Needs to Die
The libertarian congressman says the internet is poised to destroy politics as we know it.
13 Reasons Jeff Sessions is a @$#/!
The attorney general is an unreformed drug warrior and sinister elf.
If Jared Kushner Wants to Reform Federal Drug Sentences, Here's What He Should Keep in Mind
Passing federal sentencing reform will be the hardest thing he's ever done.
Philadelphia Offers to Stop Using Seized Property to Fund Police
To settle a lawsuit, Philadelphia lawyers ask a judge to ban the city from funding law enforcement budgets with asset forfeiture revenue.
Jeff Sessions Lets Cops Be Robbers
The attorney general revives a program that invites law enforcement agencies to evade state limits on asset forfeiture.
Federal Appeals Court Castigates Kansas Cops for Pot Raid Triggered by Tea
One judge notes that police raided a family's home "based on nothing more than junk science, an incompetent investigation, and a publicity stunt."
