Criminal Justice
This Bill Aims To Reduce Mass Incarceration by Encouraging States To Cut Their Prison Populations
The legislation, whose authors say two-fifths of prisoners are locked up without a "compelling public safety justification," would reward states that take a more discriminating approach.
This Georgia Man Has Been Jailed for 10 Years Without a Trial
In 2013, Maurice Jimmerson was charged with murder. Ten years later, he's still languishing in a Dougherty County jail, awaiting trial.
The Louisville Cop Who Killed Breonna Taylor Has a New Law Enforcement Gig
Myles Cosgrove never faced criminal charges in connection with Taylor's death, but he was fired for his reckless use of deadly force.
Greg Abbott's Pardon Promise Ignores the Shakiness of Daniel Perry's Self-Defense Claim
A Texas jury unanimously rejected Perry’s assertion that Garrett Foster pointed a rifle at him.
'Stand Your Ground' Laws Are Back in the News, but It's Not Clear Why
The duty to retreat from public confrontations has nothing to do with the cases cited in recent stories about seemingly unjustified shootings.
A New Amicus Brief Arguing Against a Local D.A. Circumventing California's Three Strikes Law
Meg Garvin, John Yoo, and I argue to the California Supreme Court that L.A. District Attorney George Gascon is not free to ignore the commands of California's Three Strikes Law.
Autopsy Shines Light on Death of Child Taken by Arizona's Child Welfare Agency
He was hospitalized multiple times for diabetes while in state custody.
U.S. Government Borrows Russian Tactic To Muzzle Pro-Russian Critics
The Department of Justice emulates the Kremlin in smearing government critics as foreign agents.
Brittney Griner's Russian Imprisonment Outraged the Country. So Should Vladimir Kara-Murza's.
The journalist and dissident, who was sentenced to 25 years in a penal colony for criticizing the Russian government, has not received the same attention.
Oklahoma Says Richard Glossip Was Denied a Fair Trial. An Appeals Court Still Won't Overturn His Conviction.
"While I respect the Court of Criminal Appeals' opinion, I am not willing to allow an execution to proceed despite so many doubts," said Oklahoma's attorney general.
If You Want Fewer Shootings, Ask Politicians To Back Off
It took years to break our society; we’ll be a long time making repairs.
Ron DeSantis Signs Florida Law Setting Lowest Threshold for Death Penalty Sentences in the Country
Florida will now only require an 8–4 majority for a jury to recommend a death sentence. Alabama is the only other state that allows split juries to recommend death sentences.
New York City Should Have Always Smelled Like Pot
The smell of weed in the streets is a sign of progress and tolerance, not decline.
Death of 'Cop City' Protester Ruled a Homicide
Plus: The EARN IT Act is back (again), SCOTUS postpones abortion pill decision until Friday, and more...
Federal Pot Possession Cases Plummet
The trend is driven by a huge drop in prosecutions in Arizona, the U.S. Sentencing Commission reports.
Georgia Jail Officials Resign After Inmate Found Dead and Covered With Insects
"They put that man in that cell, left him there to die," said an attorney for the man's family. "And that's exactly what happened."
Intervening to Stop "True Threats" from Delusional Stalkers and Devious Stalkers
Today's oral argument in Counterman v. Colorado--the "true threats" case--highlights the importance of protecting stalking victims from objectively threatening communications.
Supreme Court Decides to Hear Important Asset Forfeiture Procedural Property Rights Case
The Court will determine whether the Due Process Clause prevents the government from using asset forfeiture to seize property and hold it for many months without a timely hearing.
Reporter Detained in Russia Faces Arduous Path to Freedom
Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia last month on espionage charges. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in a penal colony.
The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether You Have a Right to a Prompt Hearing After Cops Seize Your Property
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two consolidated cases by Alabama women whose cars were both seized for more than a year before courts found they were innocent owners.
Will Ohio Kill The Death Penalty?
Recent efforts from the governor, the attorney general, and state legislators suggest the state is moving away from capital punishment.
Judge Rules New York State Police Must Disclose Misconduct Records
It's been nearly three years since New York repealed its police secrecy law, and departments are still fighting to hide misconduct records.
She Told Jail Employees That She Was 'Throwing Up Blood.' They Ignored Her. The Next Day, She Was Dead.
"They had a duty to protect her," says Ta'Neasha Chappell's sister. "She was not attended to because she was a Black woman and they didn't feel like she was worth getting any attention."
New York City Brings Back Dystopian Robot Police Dogs
'Digidog is out of the pound," New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared, not ominously.
Lawsuit Claims Portland Police Shot Unarmed Homeless Man, Then Ate Pizza While His Body Lay on the Ground
Robert Delgado's family is now seeking damages.
Police Release Body Camera Footage of Louisville Bank Shooting That Killed 5
Plus: Fact-checking the Twitter Files fact check, The Super Mario Bros. Movie's alleged lack of wokeness, and more...
Was Anyone Victimized by Trump's 34 Alleged Felonies?
The case against the former president is both morally dubious and legally shaky.
Democrats Choose to Advertise Failures of Single-Party Democratic Rule by Holding the 2024 DNC in Chicago
After a century of Democratic mismanagement, Chicago is hemorrhaging population, catastrophically underfunding massive pension promises, and taxing the bejeebus out of its crime-scarred residents.
Debate: Mentally Ill Homeless People Must Be Locked Up for Public Safety
Have we forgotten the era of mass institutionalization?
Most Americans Say New York Charges Against Trump Are 'Serious'
Headlines about the 34 alleged felonies seem to have obscured newly revealed information about the weakness of the charges.
Oklahoma Almost Killed Him 3 Times. Now, the State Is Trying To Vacate His Conviction.
"It is critical that Oklahomans have absolute faith that the death penalty is administered fairly and with certainty," said the state's attorney general in a Thursday press release.
5 Years After the Backpage Shutdown, Sex Workers—and Free Speech—Are Still Suffering
As former Backpage execs await their August trial, the shutdown is still worsening the lives it was supposed to improve.
New Mexico Cops Fatally Shoot Homeowner After Showing Up at the Wrong House
Plus: Los Angeles sues journalist who published police photos, IRS releases $80 billion budget plan, and more...
New Lawsuit Alleges That Kansas City Police Department Set Illegal Ticket Quotas for Officers
"KCPD has continuously and repeatedly advised Plaintiff and his fellow officers that if they did not fulfill a 'ticket quota' then they would be kicked out of the unit," the complaint states.
Trump Commuted His Sentence. Now the Justice Department Is Going To Prosecute Him Again.
Philip Esformes' case is a story about what happens when the government violates some of its most basic promises.
Idaho Takes Aim at Interstate Travel for Abortion. Health Care Providers Are Suing.
Plus: Australia's failed news media bargaining code, two ways government created an Adderall shortage, and more...
Mom Who Was Arrested for Letting 14-Year-Old Babysit Has Finally Been Cleared
"I didn't know if this would ever end," says Melissa Henderson. "I'm very relieved. A heaviness has lifted."
Prosecutors Are Still Hazy About What Crime Trump Was Trying To Conceal by Falsifying Business Records
The continuing ambiguity reflects the legal challenges that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg faces in transforming one hush payment into 34 felonies.
He Got 30 Years for Murder After a Cop Killed His Friend
Lakeith Smith's case epitomizes the issues with the "felony murder" doctrine.
With the Trump Arraignment, Americans Are Seeing the Power of the Local Prosecutor
Alvin Bragg's case against Donald Trump has put the once-obscure position of district attorney into the national spotlight.
Trump's Indictment Illustrates How the Wackos Have Hijacked Politics
Also: The sensitivity readers come for sci-fi anarchist Ursula Le Guin, how foreign trade can make American supply chains more resilient, and more...
