The Best of Reason: What Caused the D.C. Crime Wave?
Don't blame criminal justice reform or a lack of social spending for D.C.'s crime spike. Blame government mismanagement.
Criminal Justice
Sotomayor Is Right: The Supreme Court Should Reevaluate Absolute Immunity for Prosecutors
The doctrine makes it nearly impossible for victims of prosecutorial misconduct to get recourse.
Federal Judge, ICE Agents Linked to Compromised Spyware Use
The surveillance company mSpy just suffered its third data breach in a decade, exposing government officials snooping for both official and unofficial reasons.
Sacramento Cops Shared License Plate Data With Anti-Abortion States
And a grand jury says that's illegal.
Supreme Court's Presidential Immunity Ruling Could Shield Outrageous Abuses of Power
By requiring "absolute" immunity for some "official acts" and "presumptive" immunity for others, the justices cast doubt on the viability of Donald Trump's election interference prosecution.
Ketanji Brown Jackson Joins Conservative Justices in Upending Hundreds of January 6 Cases
Her concurrence is a reminder that the application of criminal law should not be infected by personal animus toward any given defendant.
SCOTUS Rejects a Legal Interpretation Underlying Capitol Riot Charges
The decision also negates two counts of the federal indictment accusing Donald Trump of illegally interfering in the 2020 presidential election.
Why Are Liberals Suddenly Denouncing the Right to a Jury Trial?
Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the Supreme Court ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy "a power grab." She's right, but in the wrong way.
Baltimore Brings Back Controversial Cellphone Hacking System
A year after a court told Maryland police that Cellebrite searches were too broad, Baltimore quietly resumed using the software.
He Faced a Terrorism Probe, Went to Jail on a Gun Charge, and Now Is Charged With Drug Possession
Although the FBI never produced evidence that Ali Hemani was a threat to national security, it seems determined to imprison him by any means necessary.
'I Don't Support Mandates From Government': John Stossel Interviews Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver
The candidate makes the case against the two-party system.
Students in This Illinois School District Are Getting Tickets for Misbehaving
The fines, which can reach over $750, are disproportionately likely to be handed out to black students, a complaint with the Education Department alleges.
Reason Wins 7 Southern California Journalism Awards
First-place finishes include an investigative piece on egregious misconduct in federal prison, a documentary on homelessness, best magazine columnist, and more.
The Supreme Court Again Strengthens the Right to a Jury Trial in Criminal Sentencing
Paul Erlinger was sentenced to 15 years in prison based largely on a determination made by a judge—not a jury.
SCOTUS Dodges a Crucial Problem With Disarming People Based on Restraining Orders
The Court says "a credible threat" justifies a ban on gun possession but does not address situations where there is no such judicial finding.
The Stop Comstock Act Doesn't Go Far Enough
Upcoming legislation would repeal parts of the 1873 law that could be used to target abortion, but the Comstock Act's reach is much more broad than that.
N.J. Businessman Indicted for Sopranos-Style Economic Development Racket
George Norcross III's alleged actions are almost cartoonishly corrupt. But for economic development programs, it's not too far off from business as usual.
Review: An Arkansas Jail Unlocked the Cells. Did it Work?
A new Netflix documentary series shows what happened when inmates were free to roam the cellblock with no guards in sight.
SCOTUS Makes It Easier for Victims of Retaliatory Arrests To Vindicate Their First Amendment Rights
The justices ruled that "objective evidence" of retaliation does not require "very specific comparator evidence."
A Federal Judge Rejects the Lame Excuses of Texas Cops Who Kidnapped a Supposedly 'Abandoned' Teenager
The decision clears the way for a jury to consider Megan and Adam McMurry's constitutional claims against the officers who snatched their daughter.
Judge Tosses Biometric Data Suit Against X
X's child porn detection system doesn’t violate an Illinois biometric privacy law, the judge ruled.
A Florida Man Was Arrested for Filming Marion County Sheriff's Deputies. Now He's Suing.
Numerous federal appeals courts have ruled that filming police is protected under the First Amendment, but police continue to illegally arrest people for it.
No Charges in ATF Killing Over Paperwork Firearms Violation
Vague rules and an unjustified raid led to Bryan Malinowski’s brutal death at the hands of federal agents.
Biden Administration Seeks Overly Harsh Sentences for Blocking Abortion Clinic Access
Whatever you think of abortion, the Department of Justice's latest approach to these cases is misguided.
Tennessee Law Declares Narcan Recipients 'Under the Influence' for 24 Hours
The Ben Kredich Act, named for a young man killed by an allegedly impaired motorist, overcorrects in response to a tragic incident.
President Biden Should Pardon D.M. Bennett
Issuing a posthumous pardon for Bennett would reaffirm our nation’s commitment to free expression and intellectual freedom.
Biden Notes Trump's History of 'Sexual Assault' but Highlights '34 Felonies' That Victimized No One
Facing an opponent who has been credibly described as a sexual predator, Biden instead emphasizes Trump's cover-up of a consensual encounter.
Maryland Governor To Issue Mass Pardon to More Than 100,000 Marijuana Offenders
The blanket pardon is one of the largest yet, and another sign of the collapse of public support for marijuana prohibition.
The Deadly Tobacco Drug War Down Under
Australia’s Prohibition-style attempts to abolish nicotine use have predictably led to a new drug war being fought over a legal substance.
Illinois License Plate Cameras Are Violating People's Constitutional Rights, Says New Suit
The plaintiffs are challenging the state's widespread surveillance, which it collects through over 600 cameras.
Justice Department Says Phoenix Police Violated Rights of Children, Minorities, Protesters, Homeless People
Phoenix police are trained that "deescalation" means overwhelming and immediate force, whether or not it's necessary.
Republicans Upset by Trump's Conviction Should Embrace Criminal Justice Reform
The MAGA movement has suddenly discovered the evils of politicized prosecutions, inequities in the justice system, and fear of police abuse.
It Is Illiberal To Charge Teens With Felonies for Vandalizing a Pride Crosswalk
You don't promote acceptance by locking people up for victimless crimes.
40 Percent of Police Officers Convicted of Child Sex Abuse Don't Get Prison Time, Investigation Finds
An analysis by The Washington Post found that nearly 1,800 police officers were arrested for child sex abuse-related crimes between 2005 and 2022.
The Myth of the Argentine Yoga School Sex Cult
Prosecutors say the Buenos Aires Yoga School was a sex trafficking cult, but the alleged victims say this isn't true.
Hunter Biden's Gun Conviction Does Not Resolve a Constitutional Dispute That Pits Him Against His Father
The president's son, who faces up to 25 years in prison for conduct that violated no one's rights, can still challenge his prosecution on Second Amendment grounds.
Preliminary FBI Data: Crime Steeply Declined in Early 2024
While the data is far from perfect, if the overall trend holds, violent crime could be back to pre-COVID levels by the end of the year.
