How Many People Have To Be Assaulted or Killed Before Chuck Schumer Stops Resisting Marijuana Banking Reform?
The Senate majority leader has repeatedly blocked a bill that would address the robbery threat to state-licensed pot shops.
Criminal Justice
This Alabama Town's Shakedowns Are So Egregious That the Justice Department Is Backing a Suit Against It
Brookside faces several federal challenges for trying to fund its city by ticketing and towing the cars of anybody they can get away with.
'Night of Terror': Lawsuit Alleges Female Inmates Were Sexually Assaulted for Hours in Indiana Jail
The lawsuit claims that a correctional officer gave male inmates the key to women's housing after accepting a $1,000 bribe.
San Francisco Fines Businesses for Getting Vandalized
The city halted its practice of fining graffitied businesses during the pandemic. But now it's firing up its enforcement machine again.
Police Can Access Your Ring Camera Footage Without a Warrant
After Amazon admitted it gives Ring footage to police departments upon "emergency" request, San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants cops to be able to access any camera at any time.
Don't Blame New York's Bail Reforms for Quick Release of Congressman's Attacker
One of the candidate’s own supporters is responsible for the defendant’s release. And it may have been the right decision.
A Houston Drug Cop's Lies Sent This Man to Prison for 25 Years
The case shows how lax supervisors, incurious prosecutors, deferential judges, credulous jurors, and inattentive defense attorneys abet police misconduct.
Viral Video Shows Protester Tased For A 'Fuck Bad Cops' Sign
For the officer's excessive force, the protester was later awarded a $175,000 settlement over the 2016 incident.
Should There Be a Cost-Benefit Exception to Miranda's Exclusionary Rule?
Judge Jones makes an interesting and compelling argument that in situations where it is debatable whether an officer followed Miranda, there is no good reason for suppressing an unwarned voluntary statement.
Lawsuit Alleges that Judges Delegate Pretrial Release Decisions to County Officials
The claims come in a lawsuit against Prince George's County (Md.).
Gun Owners Who Are Disqualified Under State Law Can Now Be Charged With 'Trafficking in Firearms'
That new crime, which is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, includes receipt of firearms by "prohibited persons."
Uvalde Cops Also Held Back the Officer Whose Wife Was Shot and Dying
New body cam footage shows Ruben Ruiz heading toward the classroom to rescue his wife, but other officers stopped him.
Parents of Michigan School Shooter Appeal Manslaughter Charge
Plus: The emptiness of "national conservatism," anti-tech antitrust antics, and more...
One Civilian With a Gun at an Indiana Mall Offered Better Protection Than 376 Cops in Uvalde
Taking personal responsibility turns out to be a better idea than putting faith in the state.
A New Gun Law Reflects the Worst Instincts of Both Parties
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increases the penalties for violating arbitrary firearm bans.
The County Where Businesses Can Self-Identify As Parks in Order to Keep Sex Offenders Away
"There's currently no way for me to even know where that buffer zone is."
Manhattan DA Drops Murder Charge Against Jose Alba. It Never Should Have Been Filed.
The initial decision to pursue prosecution runs contrary to the campaign promises of Alvin Bragg, who claims to understand that, so often, the process is the punishment.
Uvalde Shooting Report Undermines Calls To Ban Guns and 'Back the Blue'
Only you can be relied upon to protect you and your loved ones. Ignore anybody who claims otherwise.
When Should an Appellate Court in a Criminal Case Describe a Victim as the "Alleged Victim"?
In a petition for reconsideration, I ask the Utah Supreme Court to modify a recent opinion to remove the qualifier "alleged" in front of term "victim" in light of the fact that the defendant has been convicted of sexually assaulting the victim.
A New Report Casts Doubt on the Assumption That Gun Law Violators Are a Public Menace
The vast majority of federal firearm offenses involve illegal possession, often without aggravating conduct or a history of violence.
Supreme Court Tells Cops To Stop Playing Doctor
The unanimous decision is a good first step for getting law enforcement out of prescription decisions.
Unnecessary SWAT Raid Ended in the Death of an Albuquerque Teen
This was an attempted arrest of a man wanted for questioning and parole violations, not a hostage situation.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Book on Prison Uprisings Banned in New York Prisons
Heather Ann Thompson's Blood in the Water might lead to "disobedience," prison officials say.
This Appeal Asks the Supreme Court To Reject Warrantless Gun Seizures Justified by 'Special Needs'
The Institute for Justice urges SCOTUS to renounce that open-ended exception to the Fourth Amendment.
She Killed Herself. He Was Charged With Her Murder.
The felony murder rule continues to criminalize people for killing people they didn't actually kill.
Yet Another Court Affirms the First Amendment Right To Record Police
The Supreme Court still refuses to weigh in on the issue.
New Footage Shows Bodega Clerk Trying To Avoid Deadly Fight. Will Manhattan D.A. Drop the Murder Charges?
Alvin Bragg campaigned on "ending mass incarceration." But that promise apparently does not apply to Jose Alba.
Charging a Bodega Worker Who Stabbed His Attacker Isn't Criminal Justice Reform
The case of Jose Alba reminds us that progressive prosecutors don't always apply their principles when they're inconvenient.
California Police Can No Longer Arrest Suspected Sex Workers Who Stand Around in Public
The law is an important step, but ending police harassment of sex workers requires decriminalizing the trade entirely.
New Arizona Law Will Make it Illegal to Film Within 8 Feet of Police
Civil liberties groups oppose the law, saying it will impede First Amendment–protected activity and protect bad cops.
Even at His Sentencing Hearing, Derek Chauvin Did Not Manage To Express Remorse for Killing George Floyd
Despite the stakes, the former Minneapolis police officer could not bring himself even to feign regret for his actions.
Team Libertarian Report from National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Project Now Available on SSRN
I coauthored the report with Clark Neily and Walter Olson, both of the Cato Institute.
The Clarence Thomas Court Is Good News for Gun Rights, Bad News for Criminal Justice Reform
Like it or not, the Thomas Court is here.
Cop Who Killed Tamir Rice Briefly Hired by Small Pennsylvania Town
After community outrage and the mayor saying he wasn't told about Timothy Loehmann's policing background, the officer withdrew his application.
The Utah Supreme Court Holds that Crime Victims Can Intervene in Criminal Cases to Protect Their Rights
The Court agrees with my argument that crime victims can become "limited-purpose parties" in criminal proceedings to protect their interests, such as an interest in the confidentiality of mental health counseling records.
Blocking a Highway Is Not a Legitimate or Effective Form of Protest
Climate protesters who blocked an interstate outside D.C. likely cost a man his parole.
After Chesa Boudin's Recall, What Is the Future of Criminal Justice Reform?
Research and data points may not be enough to persuade voters that something different is worth trying.
LAPD's Militarized Response to Peaceful Abortion Protests Makes the Case for Police Reform—Again
Reforms promised after Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 are not being followed by Los Angeles police.
