Adnan Syed's Exoneration Shows How Hard It Is To Free Innocent People
Convincing evidence of his innocence has been available for years. But the criminal legal system prioritizes procedure and bureaucracy over liberty.
Criminal Justice
Drugs, Debt, and Masculinity
Plus: The editors wade into the conversation surrounding the modern dilemmas men face.
Judge Holds Federal Bureau of Prisons in Contempt for Allowing Man To Waste Away From Untreated Cancer
A federal judge wrote that the Bureau of Prisons should be "deeply ashamed" of medical delays that resulted in a man dying from treatable cancer.
Better Late Than Never on Weed, Kamala
Plus: A judge may recognize a poly romance, the Nobel Prize goes to economists "for research on banks and financial crises," and more...
The Twin Crusades Against Drugs and Guns
The war on drugs conspires with the war on guns to make a mockery of justice.
Tom Cotton Says Biden's Marijuana Pardon Recipients Pleaded Down From More Serious Charges
In fact, most were caught on federal property with small amounts of pot.
'Riotsville, U.S.A.' Explores the Origins of Police Militarization
Sierra Pettengill's documentary focuses on the fake towns, built by the Army in the 1960s, to train law enforcement.
What Biden's Weed Plan Really Means
Plus: lawsuit targets Roblox and Discord, 24 million immigration cases in backlog, and more...
Biden's Marijuana Reforms Are Long Overdue but Will Have Just a Modest Impact
The president's mass pardon does not extend to pot suppliers, and his rescheduling plans won't make marijuana a legal medicine.
Biden Is Still Seeking Potential Life Sentences for Distributing Weed, Even As He Pardons for Possession
Pardoning possession offenders is nice. Taking his boot off the necks of cannabis sellers would be even better.
A Seattle Cop Gets Fired for Bad Tweets Instead of His Terrible Conduct
An officer used an anonymous account to lash out at police protesters (and a Reason post). He was uncovered and fired.
An Officer Hogtied and Tased an Autistic Child. Why Is He Still Allowed To Work as a Cop?
The Kansas credentialing body reprimanded the officer for using excessive force against a child, but stopped short of pulling his license.
Did Murders Rise in 2021? No One Knows.
Plus: Court says DACA is illegal, Colorado baker appeals gender transition cake ruling, and more...
Chicago's Red Light Cameras Keep Fueling Corruption Scandals
A state senator joins several local officials in federal indictments for taking bribes in exchange for contracts.
Is a War on Policing Increasing Crime? Q&A with Rafael Mangual
In Criminal (In)Justice, the Manhattan Institute scholar argues that most reforms favored by social justice activists—and many libertarians—make life worse for communities of color.
Is a War on Policing Increasing Crime? Q&A With Rafael Mangual
In Criminal (In)Justice, the Manhattan Institute scholar argues that most reforms favored by social justice activists—and many libertarians—make life worse for communities of color.
Here's What the Media Get Wrong About Hurricanes
No, a big storm does not require big government.
Mocking the Police Is Not a Crime
A First Amendment case prompts The Onion to explain how parody works.
A Jury Acquitted Them of Various Charges. They Served Prison Time for Them Anyway.
The Supreme Court may soon consider if acquitted conduct sentencing is illegal.
LAPD Officer Killed During Training Exercise Was Reportedly Investigating Cops Accused of Gang Rape
Plus: The Onion weighs in on qualified immunity case, Supreme Court rejects challenges to bump stock ban, and more...
Storms and Reforms
Plus: The editors unpack a philosophical question from a listener concerning foreign policy.
An Iowa Jury Awards $12 Million in Damages to a Man Who Was Wrongly Imprisoned for Sexual Abuse
A former guidance counselor served six years of a 25-year sentence thanks to a public defender's incompetence.
Bill Introduced To Bring Independent Oversight to Federal Prison System
The Federal Prison Oversight Act would create an independent ombudsman to investigate complaints about the Bureau of Prisons, something prison advocacy groups have long called for.
Teenage Girl Killed in Police Shootout With Her Dad in California Desert
Media outlets repeated police speculation that she might have been involved, but investigators now say she was likely unarmed.
Federal Judge Decides Safe Deposit Boxes Aren't Safe From FBI
Judge Gary Klausner admits that the FBI probably hid their true motives in rifling through the contents of hundreds of safe deposit boxes, but says that's fine.
Netflix's Athena Is a Masterpiece About Police Violence and Social Unrest
A technically astounding film that turns a French housing block into a political warzone.
Review: Is Prison for Rehabilitation or Punishment?
High recidivism rates are not surprising when life in prison features the same factors that drive crime.
Should Libertarians Root for the Abolition of Police and Prisons?
Libertarians have some common ground with the abolitionists—but if they insist on anti-capitalism as a litmus test, abolitionists will find themselves isolated and marginalized.
A Parodist Asks SCOTUS To Let Him Sue the Cops Who Arrested Him for Making Fun of Them
The 6th Circuit ruled that qualified immunity prevented Anthony Novak from vindicating his First Amendment rights.
Trump's Declassification Claims Are Implausible and Irrelevant
The potential crimes that the FBI is investigating do not hinge on the current classification status of the records that the former president kept at Mar-a-Lago.
The Iranian Protests Were Not Made in the U.S.A.
The onerous sanctions regime carried out by the Trump and Biden administrations has done immeasurable harm in Iran.
Why Are Half of All U.S. Exonerations of Black Prisoners?
A new report looks at decades of troubling trends of bad convictions in murder, rape, and drug cases.
San Francisco Police Can Now Have Live Access to Nearly Any Camera in the City
A new ordinance passed by the city's Board of Supervisors allows police to request live access to private security cameras even for misdemeanor violations.
Woman Seriously Injured After Colorado Cops Leave Her Handcuffed in Car Parked on Train Tracks
Plus: The ridiculous panic over "rainbow fentanyl" continues, Arizona can enforce near-total abortion ban, and more...
Republican Governors and Attorneys General Think Every State Is a Border State
Some states that do not border Mexico have sought to play a role in immigration policy.
In Netflix's Dahmer, Incompetent Police Fail To Catch a Serial Killer
The show depicts the killer's gruesome crimes but lays some of the blame on the Milwaukee police who failed for so long to catch him.
Germany's Criminalization of Online Offensiveness Shows the Perils of Weakening the First Amendment
A crackdown on insults, hate speech, and misinformation punishes dissenters who express themselves in ways that offend government officials.
