Criminal Justice
Gun Rights Groups Welcome the Demise of Illogical and Constitutionally Dubious Federal Firearm Taxes
The taxes on sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, originally enacted in 1934, were meant to be prohibitive, imposing bans in the guise of raising revenue.
Federal Prison Guards Allegedly Beat an Inmate to a Pulp. The Supreme Court Says He Can't Sue.
The ruling tells an interesting story about how the very body that created a cause of action for victims of federal abuse has since worked to undermine that right.
The Everglades Jetport Was Supposed To Be a World Wonder. Now It's 'Alligator Alcatraz.'
Our dreams have fallen from supersonic world travel to jailing migrants who've hurt no one.
A Federal Inmate Had a Limb Partially Amputated After Being Kept in Restraints for 2 Days
An inspector general report found there were no limits on how long federal inmates could be kept in restraint chairs or strapped to beds.
New York City Tried To Seize Lucy the Pig. Mayor Eric Adams Says the Family Can Keep Her—If She Leaves Town.
The owners faced fines of up to $18,000 for keeping the pig within city limits.
Trump Says the Courts Have No Business Questioning His Dubious Definition of 'Alien Enemies'
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is considering whether the president properly invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members.
10 of the Worst State Laws Going Into Effect in July
From minimum wage hikes to bans on cellphones in public schools, here are some of the most ridiculous ways state governments are interfering with Americans’ lives.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for a Child-Snatching Texas Cop Who Falsely Alleged Abandonment
Alexandra Weaver argued that she could not reasonably have been expected to know her actions were unconstitutional.
She Got a Permit for Her Chickens. Now the City Is Fining Her $80,000.
The Douglas, Michigan, city government is hitting a homeowner with crushing fines after reversing its own approval. She’s fighting back in federal court.
New Orleans City Council Considers Ordinance To Adopt Real-Time Facial Recognition Technology
America is slipping steadily down the slippery slope to a surveillance state.
Legalize All Drugs! Reason Versus City Journal
City Journal's Rafael Mangual and Charles Fain Lehman debate Reason's Billy Binion and Jacob Sullum on legalizing all drugs.
Criminal Justice Reformers Should Welcome Pam Bondi's Gun Rights Restoration Initiative
Democratic critics of the new program overlook the injustice of permanently disarming Americans who pose no threat to public safety.
Judge Dismisses Case Against Trans Woman Who Tried To Challenge Florida's Bathroom Law
Marcy Rheintgen was the first person to be arrested for trying to challenge Florida's bathroom bill. The case against her has been tossed out.
Zohran Mamdani's Jewish Problem
The presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York has repeatedly missed opportunities to forthrightly condemn antisemitic violence.
Immigration Raids Are Ensnaring Innocent, Legal Bystanders
That's inevitable. It should also be deeply troubling to anyone who cares about constitutional government.
Using the National Guard in DEA Raids Is the Worst Kind of Drug War Mission Creep
The deployment of National Guard soldiers on a DEA drug raid is a serious test of whether the Posse Comitatus Act means something or not.
Trump Is Shutting Off America's Talent Pipeline
A new push to end work programs for international students will drive away skilled graduates and restrict U.S. innovation.
Reason Earns 15 Southern California Journalism Awards
First-place finishes include a piece on the Dutch "dropping" rite of passage, a documentary exploring citizen journalism and free speech, and a long-form interview with exoneree Amanda Knox.
How LSD Helped Launch a Radical Libertarian Counterculture
Drug Smuggler. Fugitive. Icon. Meet The Acid Queen.
Crossing the U.S. Border? Keep Your Electronic Devices Safe from Searches.
Officials at the border have the power to paw through sensitive data on your phone.
Campaign Finance Laws Institutionalize Corruption
Powerful political allies get a pass, while dissenters are crushed with massive fines. This isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s the point.
The Criminal Justice System Was Found Guilty in the Karen Read Trial
No matter how John O'Keefe died, the government failed here on multiple levels.
The 9th Circuit Rejects Trump's Audacious Claim That He Can Use the National Guard However He Likes
Although the appeals court said the president probably complied with the law he invoked to justify his California deployment, it emphasized that such decisions are subject to judicial review.
Florida Proposes 'Alligator Alcatraz' to House Detained Migrants and Speed Up Deportations
Florida's attorney general proposed using a 30-square-mile part of the Everglades to house, process, and deport detained migrants.
Florida Used a Nationwide Surveillance Camera Network 250 Times To Aid in Immigration Arrests
Flock Safety’s 40,000 cameras present in over 5,000 communities across the U.S. are being used to detain undocumented immigrants, many of whom have no criminal history.
ICE Insists That Congress Needs Its Permission To Conduct Oversight
But that's not what the law says.
A Popular Spanish-Language Journalist Is in ICE Custody After Being Arrested at an Atlanta Protest
Mario Guevara built a following covering immigration arrests around Atlanta. Press freedom groups say police frivolously arrested him while he was covering a "No Kings" protest.
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Overwhelming ICE Facilities and Running Up Huge Bills
The cost of Trump's immigration crackdown keeps going up.
Can Federal Prosecutors Avoid Judicial Review of Dismissal Motions by Agreeing in Advance With a Defendant Not to Prosecute?
The Justice Department and Boeing are trying that dubious maneuver, which eviscerates the requirement in the federal rules that judges must approve dismissal motions.
It Doesn't Matter If the Minnesota Shooter Is a Republican or a Democrat
After Vance Boelter allegedly targeted Democrats in an attack, some conservatives jumped to claim that he was actually on the left. Why?
Trump Argues That He Can Take Over a State's National Guard Whenever He Feels Like It
The government's lawyer told a 9th Circuit panel the president's deployments are "unreviewable," so he need not even pretend to comply with the statute on which he is relying.
Federal Courts Shrug at Potentially Lethal Wrong-Door Raids
Cops should not be free to forgo the modicum of care required to make sure they’re in the right place.
South Carolina County Ends Its Civil Forfeiture Blitz After 20 Years
It’s time for the rest of the state to stop illegal searches and seizures that enrich police departments.
Don't Let Rights-Violating Federal Agents Dodge Accountability
Plus: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on wax.
Las Vegas Police Arrest TikTok Livestreamers and Tell Them 'You Should've Shut Your Mouth'
"You need to learn the rules," an officer says. "You run your mouth at me. Now you're on your face."
Virginia Man Faces 12 Months in Jail, $2,500 Fine for Drawing a Crosswalk With Chalk
After Charlottesville city officials ignored residents’ demand for a painted crosswalk in a popular intersection, a pedestrian safety advocate made his own.
Whether or Not Trump Invokes It, the Insurrection Act Is Antiquated and Dangerously Broad
On its face, the law gives the president sweeping authority to deploy the military in response to domestic disorder.
ICE Raids and Protests Empty Out Santee Alley: Dispatch From L.A.
In the shadow of immigration crackdowns and federal troops on the ground, shopkeepers and customers are scared away, leaving businesses devastated.
