Mandatory Life Sentences for Juvenile Homicide Offenders are Unconstitutional, Rules Tennessee Supreme Court
The court says a 51-year "life" sentence for a 2015 murder violated the Eighth Amendment.
Criminal Justice
See the Surveillance State at Work in Your Own Community
The Atlas of Surveillance lets us monitor the agencies that snoop on the public.
Alabama Execution Called Off Because Officials Couldn't Insert Needle
For the second time in three months, the state struggles and fails to execute a death row inmate.
Kentucky Governor's Order Protects Medical Marijuana Users From Prosecution for Possession
To be eligible for a pardon, patients will have to obtain cannabis from other states and document their diagnoses and purchases.
Trump Says Taking Presidential Records to Mar-a-Lago Automatically Made Them His Property
According to the former president's lawyers, his decision to retain the documents made them "personal."
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
Will Congress Manage To Pass Marijuana Reform During the Lame-Duck Session?
Legalization is unlikely in the foreseeable future, but banking reform and expungement could be feasible.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
L.A. Sheriff Who Fought Against Oversight and Transparency Concedes Election Defeat
Alex Villanueva was ousted after a single combative, troubled term. Voters also approved giving county leaders the power to remove future sheriffs.
Washington Town To Pay $1 Million to Family of Woman Who Died by Suicide in Jail After Being Harassed by Guard
That guard would later be convicted of sexually assaulting four other incarcerated women.
Resistant Jurors Can Help Protect Abortion Rights (No Matter What the Law Says)
In the event of prosecution, jury nullification allows regular people to exercise a veto over the power of the state.
To Fight Human Trafficking, Police in Texas Town Endorse Zoning Restrictions on Massage Parlors
City officials in Nederland, Texas, are kicking around the idea of limiting new massage parlors to industrial areas of town.
The Brutality of Brittney Griner's New Home
"People die from hard physical labor and inability to access medical treatment that they need," said one former inmate.
Parents Face Criminal Charges Over Children's Tattoos
Plus: a nationwide injunction on student loan forgiveness, Tyson and Holyfield team up on marijuana edibles, government needn't save risky crypto investors from themselves, and more...
Justice Thomas Says "Sixth Circuit Must Do Better" in AEDPA Cases
The Supreme Court often reverses the U.S. Court of Appeals in habeas cases, but not this time.
Police Killed an Autistic Teenager. Then They Filed Search Warrants Looking for Past Bad Behavior.
After Eric Parsa's death at the hands of Louisiana police, officers received approval for search warrants of the teenager's "incidents of violence or documented behavioral reports" at school.
Watch Florida Cops Arrest a Legally Blind Man After Confusing His Walking Stick for a Gun
The two sheriff's deputies have been disciplined, and the sheriff called the arrest "unacceptable."
Oklahoma Court Denies New Evidence Hearing for Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
After the latest reprieve from the governor, he’s scheduled for execution in February.
The Crime Backlash Mostly Failed To Materialize on Election Night
Apocalyptic attack ads about crime failed to drive a red wave, and criminal justice reform candidates were still successful in several local races around the country.
Voters Approve Anti-Slavery Ballot Measures in 4 States
On Tuesday, voters in Alabama, Tennessee, Vermont, and Oregon approved ballot measures that removed exceptions to anti-slavery laws in their state's constitutions, effectively banning forced prison labor.
Maj Toure: Why Black Guns—and Libertarianism—Matter
Gun control is 'the most racist practice in America,' says the Philadelphia native and community leader.
Bernie Sanders-Backed John Fetterman Prevails in Pennsylvania
Voters told exit pollsters they had little confidence in the ability of either Fetterman or Oz to represent Pennsylvania.
Tough-on-Crime Cash Bail Initiatives Win in Ohio and Alabama
The debate over bail has become a polarizing flash point. But as usual, the answer is more nuanced than either Republicans or Democrats would have their bases believe.
Jackson, in First Supreme Court Opinion, Defends Death Row Inmate
In her short, yet searing dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argues that the court should have granted the petition of an Ohio man sentenced to death after prosecutors hid a key witness' severe intellectual disability from jurors.
Some Supreme Court Justices Want the Court To Tackle More Government Abuse Cases
Unfortunately, in five separate cases today, they're outnumbered.
2 Years After Police Broke a 73-Year-Old Woman's Arm, A New Report Reveals Even More Misconduct
In 2020, police severely injured Karen Garner when they arrested her for petty theft. While two officers faced time behind bars for the incident, a newly released report makes even more misconduct public.
These Sisters Tried To Start a Business. Police Seized Their Cash and Accused Them of Being Drug Traffickers
California police seized more than $17,000 from Vera and Apollonia Ward and accused them of laundering drug money, all without charging them with a crime. The two sisters were trying to start a dog-breeding business.
Houston Prosecutors Are Keeping Cash Seized From Defendants Whose Cases Were Compromised by Police Corruption
Even in cases that hinged on the trustworthiness of demonstrably untrustworthy cops, people are still waiting to get their money back.
After Supreme Court Ruling, States Grapple With How To Define an Excessive Fine
The Supreme Court's 2018 ruling in Timbs v. Indiana revived the Excessive Fines Clause. Now state courts have to come up with tests to determine what's excessive.
Study: Text Message Reminders Can Help Stop People from Missing Parole or Probation Meetings
It’s a little thing, but thousands of people end up in jail over these types of avoidable technical violations.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
Reddit Is Not Guilty of Sex Trafficking, Says Court
In a post-FOSTA world, Section 230 still protects websites from lawsuits over criminal sexual conduct by their users.
What Message Are Prosecutors Sending by Charging Paul Pelosi's Attacker With 8 State and Federal Felonies?
In addition to six state charges, David DePape faces two federal charges, each punishable by decades in prison.
Dungeons & Dragons Is Apparently Banned in Federal Prisons
State prisons around the country ban the roleplaying game, too, because of bizarre concerns about gang behavior and security threats.
In Kentucky, Legal Abortion Is on the Ballot
Voters will soon cast ballots on a constitutional amendment that seeks to explicitly remove any protections for abortion in the state's constitution.
Woman Reports Rape to Pennsylvania Cops, Winds Up In Prison for Prostitution
Plus: International attitudes about Russia and China, court rules against book publishers merging, and more...
Should Rap Lyrics Qualify as Evidence in Criminal Trials?
The music industry objects to the use of rap lyrics by prosecutors.
Why Is Texas Requiring a Guy Who Stole a Car To Register as a Sex Offender?
When states misuse sex-offender registries and apply them to any crime that involves a child, individual rights are abused.
The Babylon Bee Joins The Onion in Decrying an Ohio Law That Makes Parody a Felony
The two fake news organizations want the Supreme Court to review the case of a man who was arrested for making fun of the police.
