Criminal Justice
A Houston Drug Cop's Murder Conviction Highlights the Potentially Deadly Consequences of 'Testilying'
Similar scandals across the country suggest the problem is widespread.
A Florida Judge Blocked a Newspaper from Publishing Video of a Jail Death
The Ocala Gazette says the footage contradicts the Marion County sheriff's claims about Scott Whitley's death. A judge won't let the paper publish the video.
Alabama Pastor Can Sue the Cops Who Arrested Him For Refusing To Show His ID
A federal judge rejected the officers' claims of qualified immunity.
Should California Vote To Roll Back Criminal Justice Reforms?
Conservatives blame Proposition 47 (2014) for higher rates of shoplifting in the state, but the real story is more complicated.
Eric Adams and New York City's Corruption Problem
Plus: A listener asks the editors what a “conservatarian” presidential candidate and agenda might look like.
Congress Passes Bill Backing 'Self-Care' for People Pursuing Prostitution Stings
The IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act would provide outreach and training to Homeland Security Investigations staff.
A Prosecutor Allegedly Told a Witness To Destroy Evidence. He Can't Be Sued for It.
Absolute immunity protects prosecutors even when they commit serious misconduct on the job.
Citizen Journalist Barred From Press Conference Can Sue Texas Sheriff for Violating His Rights, Judge Rules
The decision is a reminder that independent reporters are still protected by the same First Amendment as journalists in legacy media.
Justice Department Says a Small Mississippi Town Ran a Dickensian Debtor's Prison
Federal investigators say police in Lexington, Mississippi, used illegal searches, excessive force, and kept residents in jail when they couldn't pay off old fines.
It's Time to Confront Failures of Justice (Part V)
A sample list of reforms to reduce failures of justice.
It's Time to Confront Failures of Justice (Part IV)
How should society balance competing interests in criminal justice policy?
Donald Trump and Hunter Biden Are Both Felons. But What Does Felon Really Mean?
For hundreds of years, a felony has been defined not by the action itself but by how we punish it.
Former Houston Drug Cop Convicted of Murder After His Lies Resulted in Two Deaths
The jury accepted the prosecution's argument that Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas died because of Gerald Goines' fraudulent search warrant affidavit.
New Anti-Trump Ads Highlight Sexual Assault Allegations, Portraying Him As an Admitted 'Serial Predator'
Although the Republican presidential nominee has denied those accusations, he has also bragged about strikingly similar behavior.
A History of Harris Positions on Sex Work
Harris' campaign hasn't said where she stands now. But she's historically taken a tough stance against prostitution and especially against men who pay for it.
It's Time to Confront Failures of Justice (Part III)
Counting the many costs of failures of justice.
Jurors Weigh Murder Charges Against Former Houston Drug Cop Who Lied to Justify a Deadly Home Invasion
But for Gerald Goines' lies on a search warrant affidavit, prosecutors argued, Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas would still be alive.
California County Fines Man $120,000 for Refusing to Evict a Family From His Property
Plus, a look at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Tina Smith's plan to resurrect public housing in America.
It's Time to Confront Failures of Justice (Part II)
Serious crime and failures of justice aren't going away.
New FBI Data Further Deflate Trump's Claim That Crime Is Rising
Violent crime fell by 3 percent last year, the agency estimates. That includes a 12 percent drop in homicides.
Get Your Gross Sex Out of My Sick Politics!
Plus: "Black Nazi,” Oprah interviews Kamala, and yet another looming government shutdown.
Seattle's 'Stay Out' Zones Will Curb Civil Liberties, Not Crime
The city plans to ban people accused of some drug and prostitution crimes from visiting designated areas.
Georgia A.G. Drops Frivolous Money Laundering Charges Against Cop City Bail Fund
The three defendants remain under indictment for racketeering, along with 58 others.
A Texas Reporter Was Arrested for Asking Questions. The State Says That's No Big Deal.
Opposing Priscilla Villarreal's petition for Supreme Court review, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton portrays basic journalism as "incitement."
Decoding the Sex Trafficking Case Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Diddy’s indictment turns the typical sex trafficking charge on its head.
A Movie Mirrors the Stranger-Than-Fiction Reality of Civil Asset Forfeiture
The outrageous seizure at the center of Rebel Ridge resembles real-life cash grabs.
Richard Nixon Privately Admitted Marijuana Was 'Not Particularly Dangerous'
The recordings demonstrate yet again that drug warriors always knew marijuana wasn't that bad—they just didn't care.
States Are Banning This DIY Rape Kit
This company made a product to serve victims who don't want to go to police right after a sexual assault. Some politicians want to ban it.
Prohibition Killed Matthew Perry
Three people have pled guilty and two will go to trial over the actor's death.
Tyreek Hill's Violent Traffic Stop Shows Wider Police Problems in Miami
In body camera footage from Hill's arrest, Miami-Dade officers intimidate bystanders and invoke a law that hasn't gone into effect yet.
NYPD Opened Fire on a Fare Jumper, Shooting 2 Bystanders and a Cop
Gotham’s police department has a long history of shooting bystanders in "self defense."
New Survey Data Undermine Trump's Narrative of Rising Crime
According to Trump's preferred source, violent victimizations fell slightly in 2023, although the difference was not statistically significant.
In Massachusetts, Sex Workers Get Charged and Clients Get Set Free
This flies in the face of one popular narrative.
Houston Officials Trusted a Dishonest Drug Cop for Decades Before His Lies Killed 2 People
But for a disastrous raid, narcotics officer Gerald Goines would have been free to continue framing people he thought were guilty.
Rebel Ridge, Netflix's Civil Asset Forfeiture Revenge Flick, Is a Thrilling Political Action Movie
Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier's movie is the rarest of things: a taut, tense thriller about...public policy.
Lessons of the Haitian Migrant Cat Scare
Despite scaremongering to the contrary, Haitian immigrants don't eat cats, and have much lower crime rates than native-born Americans. There are some broader lessons to be learned from this epsode.
The FBI Is Undercounting Firearm Self-Defense Incidents
"A couple million times a year, people use guns defensively," says economist and author John Lott.
Houston Cop Who Lied To Justify a No-Knock Drug Raid Says He Is Not Responsible for the Resulting Deaths
Former narcotics officer Gerald Goines faces two murder charges for instigating the home invasion that killed Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas.
Texas Court Rejects Last Appeal for a Man Set To Be Executed Based on Disputed 'Shaken Baby Syndrome' Evidence
Robert Roberson is scheduled to become the first person in the country to be executed based on evidence of what used to be called "shaken baby syndrome."
At the Presidential Debate, Trump Again Falsely Claimed Crime Is Rising
Violent crime dropped in 2023 and appears to be on track for another large decline this year.
