Criminal Justice
He Didn't Use the 'Magic Words' To Get Access to a Lawyer. Were His Rights Violated?
A recent court decision has reinvigorated the debate around just how specific the accused has to be in asking to speak with an attorney.
The FDA's Menthol Cigarette Ban Is a 'Racial Justice' Issue, but Not in the Way Its Supporters Mean
The proposed rule, which targets the cigarettes that black smokers overwhelmingly prefer, will harm the community it is supposed to help.
Cops Find Suspected Murder Weapon After Years of Searching. It Was in Their Evidence Already.
Plus: Judge rejects partisan gerrymander in New York, student loan debt debate heats up again, and more...
City Council Furious at Cop Who Played Disney Songs To Keep from Being Recorded
There is some confusion over what the response should be, but there is broad agreement that the officer acted inappropriately.
Biden Begins Using Clemency To Ameliorate the Damage Done by the Draconian Drug Policies He Long Supported
The 75 commutations announced today, while impressive compared to the pitiful records of previous presidents, pale beside a huge backlog of petitions.
Texas Court Stays Execution of Mom Sentenced for Child's Death
The state claimed she beat a 2-year-old to death. But evidence may show it was the result of a fall down stairs.
She Says Her Son Died After Smoking Insecticide While He Was Supposed To Be on Suicide Watch. Now She's Suing.
The lawsuit says there have been multiple deaths from neglect and poor suicide prevention policies at the Louisiana prison where Javon Kennerson died.
El Salvador Detains 17,000 'Suspected Gang Members' Without Due Process
President Nayib Bukele extends “state of emergency” for El Salvador—allowing the police to continue to mass arrest people for little, if any, reason.
Possible Problems With Lethal Injection Drugs Stop Tennessee Execution
Meanwhile in South Carolina, the state Supreme Court delays a planned execution by firing squad.
Cop Who Arrested High Schooler on 'Terrorizing' Charges for Class Joke Gets Qualified Immunity
A judge's blistering dissent is a reminder that this issue does not have to be a partisan one.
France's Authoritarian Establishment Faces Off Against the Even Uglier Authoritarianism of the Far Right
French President Emmanuel Macron is authoritarian-light. Candidate Marine Le Pen is worse.
Houston Says Businesses Must Install Surveillance Cameras and Cops Can View Footage Without a Warrant
Plus: The Warrant for Metadata Act, DOJ will appeal order ending mask mandate, and more...
Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Says the Ban on Gun Possession by Marijuana Users Is Unconstitutional
Nikki Fried, a Democrat, is suing the Biden administration, arguing that the policy violates the Second Amendment and a congressional spending rider.
Georgia Cops Crack Down on Vape Shops for Selling Legal Products
In Georgia, the difference between delta-8 and delta-9 THC is the difference between legal and illegal, but police are threatening store owners over both.
He Faces 10 Years to Life for Selling Pot, a Legal Business in Most States
Jonathan Wall, whose federal trial begins on May 2, notes that many people openly engage in similar conduct with impunity.
Death by Firing Squad Returns to South Carolina
Due to a lack of access to lethal injection drugs, Richard Moore had to choose between the electric chair and getting shot through the heart.
City Won't Pay $6 Million Awarded to Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for Decades
Plus: how a pesticide ban hurt Sri Lanka, how Japanese reality TV reveals deficiencies in American parenting, and more...
Tennessee May Allow Resentencing for Drug-Free School Zone Offenders After Reason Investigation
A 2018 Reason investigation showed that the zones covered wide swaths of cities and turned minor drug crimes into prison sentences that rivaled those for murder or rape.
The Feds Will Return More Than $1 Million in Marijuana Money That California Cops Stole From Armored Cars
Empyreal Logistics agreed to drop its claims against the Justice Department, but it is still suing San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
Local Lawyers Think 'Gross Negligence' Explains an Unlawful Murder Charge Based on a 'Self-Induced Abortion'
Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez has yet to explain how this egregious error escaped his notice.
Carl Hart: Legalize All Drugs Now!
The controversial Columbia neuroscientist, Air Force vet, and author of Drug Use for Grown-Ups believes deeply in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Police Play Disney Songs To Keep Citizen Recordings Off YouTube
A Santa Ana police officer is the latest official to use YouTube's copyright infringement algorithm as a means to evade accountability.
Imagine Having a Decade of Your Life Erased. It Happened to 161 People Exonerated from Prison in 2021.
A new report shows wrongfully convicted people serving 1,849 years behind bars across the United States before being released last year.
