Criminal Justice
Trump, Who Wants To Execute Drug Dealers, Promises To Free Ross Ulbricht
Ulbricht is serving two life sentences plus 40 years in connection with the Silk Road, an online marketplace he founded and operated where users could buy and sell illegal substances.
Is Minneapolis a 'Secret Bellwether' for Understanding Policing and Race in America?
The Minneapolis Reckoning shows why calls to defund the police gained momentum after George Floyd's death and why voters with no love for the cops still rejected an abolitionist ballot measure.
Prosecutors Are Still Hedging on Exactly What 'Crime' Trump Tried To 'Aid' or 'Conceal'
This week the judge presiding over Trump's trial ruled that jurors do not have to agree on any particular legal theory.
Trump's Anti-Crime Agenda Contradicts His Criticism of Biden's Legislative Record
Since he favors aggressive drug law enforcement, severe penalties, and impunity for abusive police officers, he may have trouble persuading black voters that he is on their side.
The Criminal Charges Against Scottie Scheffler Look Highly Questionable
Detective Bryan Gillis alleges the star golfer assaulted him. Footage released today does not help his story.
3 People Died of Thirst in a Texas County Jail in Under 2 Years
All three inmates were mentally ill and became dehydrated despite ready access to water.
Why Is the Economy So Weird Right Now?
Plus: Samuel Alito's bad flags, simping for marijuana, and more...
A Cop's Corruption Allegedly Cost an Innocent Man 2 Years of His Life. Should She Get Qualified Immunity?
Judge Carlton Reeves ripped apart the legal doctrine in his latest decision on the matter.
Justice Department Sues Oklahoma Over Law That Would Imprison Undocumented Immigrants
State law enforcement groups have warned that H.B. 4156 “conflicts with many existing directives” and could “destroy” their relationships with immigrant communities.
Alvin Bragg's Case Against Trump Presents a Tangle of Interacting Laws and Intent Puzzles
To convert a hush payment into 34 felonies, prosecutors are relying on a chain of assumptions with several weak links.
House Passes a Bill To Create Independent Oversight of the Troubled Federal Prison System
Staff shortages and chronic corruption have plagued the Bureau of Prisons for years, exposing inmates to abuse and whistleblowers to retaliation.
San Diego Is Cracking Down on Groups Exercising Outside Without a Permit
A revision to the municipal code made it illegal for groups of four or more people to convene in public spaces for commercial recreational activities without a government stamp of approval.
The Police Killing of Roger Fortson Shows the Conflict Between the 2nd Amendment and Paranoid Cops
Fortson, a 23-year-old active duty airman, was shot and killed by a Florida sheriff's deputy when he opened the door to his apartment holding a gun at his side.
The New York Times Implausibly Blames 'Looser' Gun Laws for a Homicide Spike That Is Now Receding
Without providing any evidence, the paper says "loosened restrictions on firearms" contributed to gun violence in Columbus.
The Real Reason for Self-Checkout Bans
It isn't about stopping crime—it's about protecting a favored constituency's jobs.
Kamala Harris Implausibly Claims Biden's Marijuana Pardons Number in the 'Tens of Thousands'
The vice president's exaggeration reflects a pattern of dishonesty in the administration's pitch to voters who oppose the war on weed.
Daniel Perry's Pardon Makes a Mockery of Self-Defense
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott takes a tactic from the progressive prosecutors he says he opposes.
World War War III May Already Have Started—in the Shadows
Cyber intrusions, arson, bombings, and other mayhem feature in the conflict between West and East.
Biden's Spin on Marijuana's Rescheduling Exaggerates Its Practical Impact
Contrary to the president's rhetoric, moving marijuana to Schedule III will leave federal pot prohibition essentially unchanged.
Can This Woman Sue the Rogue Prosecutor Who Allegedly Helped Upend Her Life?
Prosecutor Ralph Petty was also employed as a law clerk—by the same judges he argued before.
Cop Who Dodged Sentence for Killing Sex Worker Gets 11 Years for Abducting More Sex Workers
The victims received no restitution payment.
He Was Sentenced to a Decade in Prison for Having Unlicensed Weapons
Dexter Taylor is now a "violent felon," even though his hobby was victimless.
Here's How the CIA Plans To Use Your Ad Tracking Data
The intelligence community is admitting that info from data brokers is sensitive but isn’t accepting hard limits on how to use it.
The 'Heart' of Alvin Bragg's Case Against Trump Is Misdirection
Contrary to what prosecutors say, the former president is not charged with "conspiracy" or "election fraud."
Black People Overwhelmingly Want To Maintain—or Increase—Police Presence. They Also Want Better Police.
The dominant media narrative has obscured much of the nuance here.
Alabama Man Faces Jail Time for Refusing To Apologize to a Cop for Cursing During Traffic Stop
Reginald Burks says he told a police officer, "Get your ass out of the way so I can take my kids to school." First Amendment lawyers say he can't be forced to apologize.
Pregnant Women Database?
Plus: Isaac Asimov's predictions, protests in Tbilisi, California's AI regulations, and more...
Here Is Why a Federal Judge Rejected Hunter Biden's Second Amendment Challenge to His Gun Charges
Likening drug users to people who are "mentally ill and dangerous," the ruling says barring them from owning firearms is not unconstitutional on its face.
The Night I Asked ChatGPT How To Build a Bomb
Yes, you can trick the bot into giving you information it's supposed to keep to itself. No, that isn't something to worry about.
A SWAT Team Blew Up This Innocent Couple's Home and Left Them With the Bill. Was That Constitutional?
Mollie and Michael Slaybaugh are reportedly out over $70,000. The government says it is immune.
The Details of Stormy Daniels' Story About Sex With Trump Are Legally Irrelevant
Under the prosecution's theory, Trump would be guilty of falsifying business records even if Daniels made the whole thing up.
Tennessee Appeals Court Rules Against Wildlife Agents Who Planted Cameras on Private Land
The three-judge panel concluded unanimously that while the state law at issue is constitutional, the wildlife agents' application of it was not.
The Untested Self-Pardon
Plus: Hunter's guns, AI replacing dating, East German cars, and more...
Supreme Court Issues Flawed Ruling in Asset Forfeiture Case
But Justice Neil Gorsuch's concurring opinion suggests the Court may curb asset forfeiture in the future.
Reason Is a Finalist for 14 Southern California Journalism Awards
Nominated stories include journalism on messy nutrition research, pickleball, government theft, homelessness, and more.
Supreme Court Rules No Due Process Right to Preliminary Hearings in Civil Asset Forfeiture Cases
The cars of two Alabama women were seized for more than a year before courts found they were innocent owners. The Supreme Court says they had no constitutional right to a preliminary hearing.
The Government Fears This Privacy Tool
The Department of Justice indicted the creators of Samourai Wallet, an application that helps people spend their bitcoins anonymously.
No, Unions Aren't Having a Resurgence—and That's Good for Workers
Private unions have every right to exist, but that doesn't mean they're actually beneficial on net.
Michigan Supreme Court Allows Evidence Collected by Drone, Without a Warrant
The court declined to address whether the search violated the Fourth Amendment and merely held that the evidence could not be excluded in a civil case.
Stormy Daniels' 'Credibility Issues' Reflect a Broader Problem With Key Witnesses Against Trump
New York prosecutors are relying on testimony from several people who do not seem trustworthy.
An Atlanta Cop Killed This Man For Refusing To Sign a Ticket
Now his victim's family has been awarded a $3.8 million settlement.
