Criminal Justice
Woman Can Sue Alabama Cops for Towing Car as Part of Town's Profiteering Scheme
A federal judge denied qualified immunity for officers accused of making up charges to get money from fines.
ATF, Enforcer of Gun Laws, Lost 'Thousands of Firearms, Firearm Parts' to Thieves
The agency should be abolished and its employees sent to seek jobs in the private sector.
Brickbats: November 2022
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
This 78-Year-Old Woman Was Arrested for Feeding the Poor
Norma Thornton of Bullhead City, Arizona, is suing for the right to help people in need.
Michigan Court Allows Town To Use Drones To Snoop Without Warrants. One Couple Is Suing.
The Institute for Justice argues evidence from warrantless searches can’t be used for zoning enforcement.
Decriminalizing Jaywalking in California Will Help Reduce Police Harassment
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in September that will chip away at a policy that has long been criticized as enabling racially-motivated policing.
FBI Reports Dubious 'Trend' of Rideshare Driver Kidnappings
Plus: Pandemic learning loss, German weed legalization, and more...
Undeterred by Pushback, Cops and Journalists Are Still Warning Parents About THC-Laced Halloween Candy
The unsubstantiated threat that strangers with cannabis candy allegedly pose to trick-or-treaters is an urban legend that never dies.
Larry Krasner: Are Progressive Prosecutors Responsible for the Urban Crime Spike?
Q&A with Philadelphia's district attorney, who is facing an impeachment threat because of rising crime.
Larry Krasner: Are Progressive Prosecutors Responsible for the Urban Crime Spike?
Q&A with Philadelphia's district attorney, who is facing an impeachment threat because of rising crime.
Underage Girls Arrested in Florida 'Human Trafficking' Sting
Once again, policies billed as helping people coerced into prostitution wind up harming those that cops say they're trying to help.
Outside the White House, Protesters Urge Biden To Release Nonviolent Marijuana Offenders
While Biden's mass pardons for those with low-level marijuana possession convictions were greeted with cautious optimism, protesters expressed frustration over Biden's lack of action to actually release those imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes.
Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
A protest at the White House calls attention to the thousands of federal cannabis offenders who remain incarcerated.
D.C. Rehired Cops and Paid Them $14 Million in Back Pay.
Out of 37 officers who were terminated and later reinstated, 17 had committed acts deemed a "threat to safety."
Rikers Island Sees 17th Prisoner Death This Year
Is a federal takeover of the troubled jail pending?
Is Crime Getting Better or Worse? We Don't Really Know.
The FBI changed the way it compiles data, and reporting law-enforcement agencies have yet to catch up.
You Do Not Need To Store Your Kids' DNA in Case of Emergencies
Fearmongering about mass school shootings leads to some dumb, privacy-threatening ideas.
Prison Slavery Up for a Vote in 5 States
Plus: Federal court dismisses state challenge to student loan debt forgiveness, not all independent contractors want to be employees, and more...
What Happens When a County Employee Acts Like a Police Officer?
A highway engineer got qualified immunity for detaining drivers—despite not being a cop.
A Federal Judge Says Trump Knowingly Endorsed False Fraud Claims in an Election Lawsuit
Despite that evidence, it is hard to tell whether Trump actually thought he beat Biden.
Florida Corrections Officers Paralyzed A Man, Then Left Him in Solitary Confinement
Craig Ridley died after corrections officers paralyzed him in a beating then left him without medical care for days.
Federal Report Adds to the Evidence That Bitemark Analysis Is Nonsense
Forensic techniques are nowhere near as reliable as cops shows pretend.
A North Carolina Man Was Jailed for Refusing To Wear a Mask in Court
"I never thought this could happen in this country," Gregory Hahn said.
Marijuana Legalization in California Has Gone Miserably, So Officials Are Expanding Drug Enforcement
The Golden State promises a progressive, environmentally conscious, labor-friendly war on weed.
Don't Believe the People Blaming Crime on Defunded Police
Plus: the pandemic baby bump, how government is killing starter homes, and more...
Justice Department Inspector General Launches Investigation Into Inmate Death Following Judge's Contempt Order
Reason first reported last week on the scathing contempt order, which said the Bureau of Prisons should be "deeply ashamed" of its conduct.
Don't Weaponize Child Abuse Hotlines Against Your Political Opponents
Too much government authority lends itself to swatting-style abuse.
Ron DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard Stunt Might Help Migrants Stay in the U.S. on Special Visas
A Texas sheriff has certified that the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard were the victims of a crime, which helps clear the way for them to apply for U visas.
Another Analysis Suggests Mandatory Reporting Laws May Be Doing Children More Harm Than Good
Plus: Virginia lawmaker wants to criminalize parents who don't affirm child's gender identity, inflation is up 8.2 percent over the past 12 months, and more...
Biden's Marijuana Pardons Could Benefit Some 10,000 People With Misdemeanor Records
That seemingly large number represents a tiny share of simple possession cases, which are rarely prosecuted under federal law.
The Consequences That Hunter Biden Could Face for Violating Arbitrary Gun Laws Should Give His Father Pause
The president supports the law that could send his son to prison for lying about his personal habits while buying a firearm.
Texas Roofer Arrested in Florida for Helping Hurricane Victims
He's fully licensed, but not in the right state.
Comedians Sue Atlanta Police for Racial Profiling Over Airport Searches
The lawsuit contends that after passengers are screened at federally mandated security checkpoints, Clayton County police search them again before they can board their flight.
Biden's Support for Pot Prohibition Belies His Recognition of the Harm It Causes
Even as he pardons thousands of marijuana users, the president stubbornly resists legalization.
Adnan Syed's Exoneration Shows How Hard It Is To Free Innocent People
Convincing evidence of his innocence has been available for years. But the criminal legal system prioritizes procedure and bureaucracy over liberty.
Drugs, Debt, and Masculinity
Plus: The editors wade into the conversation surrounding the modern dilemmas men face.
Judge Holds Federal Bureau of Prisons in Contempt for Allowing Man To Waste Away From Untreated Cancer
A federal judge wrote that the Bureau of Prisons should be "deeply ashamed" of medical delays that resulted in a man dying from treatable cancer.
Better Late Than Never on Weed, Kamala
Plus: A judge may recognize a poly romance, the Nobel Prize goes to economists "for research on banks and financial crises," and more...
The Twin Crusades Against Drugs and Guns
The war on drugs conspires with the war on guns to make a mockery of justice.