Criminal Justice
Don't Punish the QAnon Shaman—or Anyone—for Demanding a Jury Trial
Coercive plea deals trample on defendants' Sixth Amendment rights.
Oklahoma's Governor Commutes Julius Jones' Death Sentence, Halting Today's Scheduled Execution
In exchange, Jones shall “never again be eligible to apply for, be considered for, or receive any additional commutation, pardon, or parole.”
'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley Gets 41 Months in Prison
Plus: Detroit schools close on Fridays just because, Scott Alexander offers a plausible ivermectin theory, and more...
Prosecution Rests in Ahmaud Arbery Murder Trial
Plus: The View eats its own, NPR ignores a victory for Asian-Americans, and more...
Cops Thought Sand From Her Stress Ball Was Cocaine. She Spent Nearly 6 Months in Jail.
And now an appeals court has ruled the cops who arrested her aren't entitled to qualified immunity from her lawsuit.
Jury Deliberations Begin in Kyle Rittenhouse Trial After Judge Tosses Gun Charge
Plus: Yale University faces an interesting lawsuit, the ACLU takes a stance on student loan debt, and more...
Will Oklahoma's Governor Stop the Execution of a Man Many Think May Be Innocent?
The state’s pardon board vote to recommend clemency for Julius Jones. He’s scheduled to be put to death on Thursday.
Cop Kills 8-Year-Old Girl; Two Teens Charged With Her Murder
Fanta Bility's death has revived an under-the-radar debate about the doctrine of transferred intent.
SCOTUS Has Made It Practically Impossible To Sue a Rights-Violating Federal Officer
A new case asks whether a Border Patrol agent may be sued for alleged First and Fourth Amendment violations.
Alec Baldwin's Gun Proposals Will Not Make Hollywood Sets Safer
Despite a tragic on-set death, there is no need to involve police officers in still more aspects of people's lives.
Kyle Rittenhouse's Call of Duty Habit and Post-Arrest Silence Aren't Evidence of His Guilt
Judge Bruce Schroeder rightly reprimanded Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger for what he called a "grave constitutional violation."
A Knoxville Woman Called 911. Instead of Getting Help, She Was Arrested and Placed in Immigration Detention for Months.
Knox County's program authorizing such enforcement activities may have been instituted illegally.
Videos Are Making It Hard To Trust the Cops
It’s difficult to avoid the suspicion that the powers-that-be habitually lie about their conduct.
A Cop Was Indicted for Homicide After Shooting a Fleeing Driver. He Still Got Qualified Immunity.
Bau Tran might go to jail for his conduct, but he will be insulated from having to face a jury in civil court.
Report Finds Gruesome Medical Malpractice and Death in Arizona Prisons
"A system that allows this level of sustained incompetence and cruelty... is morally bankrupt," a doctor wrote after investigating medical neglect in Arizona prisons.
The Prosecution Had a Very Bad Day in the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial
Plus: Biden administration defends vaccine mandate, Bari Weiss announces the University of Austin, and more...
Texas' Costly 'Operation Lone Star' Leaves Alleged Illegal Immigrants Trapped in Jail with No Due Process
Gov. Greg Abbott’s crusade is costing the state huge sums just to try to prosecute thousands of misdemeanor trespassing cases.
After the DEA Stole $70,000 From This Filmmaker, He Got His Money Back, Plus a $15,000 Settlement
Keddins Etienne's experience shows that bullies who seize innocent people's property tend to back down when their victims put up a fight.
Justice Department Charges a Steele Dossier Source With Lying to the FBI
The investigation of Trump aide Carter Page has exposed major problems with federal secret surveillance warrants.
After Years of Complaints, the D.C. Jail Has Been Deemed Too Wretched for Some Inmates
A 2016 Reason story detailed the D.C. Jail's long history of failure. Now the federal government is finally paying attention.
Cops Arrested Her for Exercising Her First Amendment Rights. They Got Qualified Immunity—but the Appeals Court Wasn't Having It.
"This is not just an obvious constitutional infringement—it's hard to imagine a more textbook violation of the First Amendment."
Cleveland Votes for More Police Oversight, While Minneapolis Rejects Abolishing, Replacing Cops
The obvious lesson is that, yes, people want reform and better police conduct, not necessarily broad, vague plans to replace them.
A New Orleans Grandfather Will Get His Life Savings Back After DEA Agents Seized It
Federal prosecutors agreed to drop a civil asset forfeiture case against Kermit Warren's $28,000 in cash, which he said he was trying to buy a tow truck with.
The Supreme Court Declines To Determine if You Have a First Amendment Right To Film the Police
Denver cops received qualified immunity after performing a warrantless search of a man’s tablet and trying to delete a video he took of them beating a suspect.
Pennsylvania Homeless Man Spared Felony Charge for 43-Cent Misunderstanding
However, the cruel policy that threatened him with years in jail remains in place.