Biden Orders Justice Department To Phase Out Use of Private Prisons
Biden reportedly will also reinstate restriction on transfers of surplus military gear to police.
Criminal Justice
Cops Must Destroy Illegal Surveillance Videos From Spa Visited by Robert Kraft
Authorities "shall destroy the videos unlawfully obtained through the surveillance of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa," a federal judge says.
Another Houston Cop Is Indicted for Murder Because of a 2019 Drug Raid That Killed a Middle-Aged Couple
So far a dozen narcotics officers have been charged as a result of the investigation triggered by the disastrous operation.
Tennessee Cops Arrest Man For Posting Photoshopped Picture of Men Urinating on Dead Officer's Grave
"The only people who broke the law here were the police officers and TBI agents who participated in this flagrantly unconstitutional arrest."
In 2020, Teachers Unions and Police Unions Showed Their True Colors
It's time for the left and the right to take a hard look at their favorite public-sector unions.
Joe Biden Doesn't Want to Be Another 'Deporter in Chief'
The new president issued a 100-day moratorium on deportations.
A Letter From a Florida Inmate Asked for Help. It Arrived Too Late.
Theresa Mathis was in the middle of a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence when she sent Reason a letter asking for help.
Carl Hart: Drug Use for Grown-Ups
The Columbia neuroscientist talks frankly about using heroin responsibly and "chasing liberty in the land of fear."
Lil Wayne, Steve Bannon, and Some Drug War Victims Pardoned, but No Assange, Snowden, or Ulbricht
Plus: Pelosi wants 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol attack, MyPillow drama, and more...
Freeing People Who Don't Belong in Prison Is Praiseworthy, No Matter Trump's Motives
The president's final batch of clemency actions includes commutations for dozens of nonviolent drug offenders.
Trump Administration Puts 13th Prisoner to Death as Justice Sotomayor Blasts 'Breakneck Timetable of Executions'
The Department of Justice rushes to prevent mercy before a new administration can take over.
The Capitol Riot, Qualified Immunity, and Politics as Usual
Objections to police reform are often more rooted in partisan knee-jerk reactions than in sensible policymaking.
A New Report Casts Doubt on Both Fears and Hopes About the Consequences of Abolishing Qualified Immunity
A Connecticut law that made it easier to sue abusive cops is not expected to have a noticeable effect on municipal insurance costs.
Don't Let the Capitol Riot Become a 9/11-Style Excuse for Authoritarianism
Frightening events create openings for attacks on civil liberties.
42 People Now Face Federal Charges for the Capitol Riot
Plus: Happy birthday to Wikipedia, Airbnb's pandemic rebound, and more...
Massive Illinois Police Reform Bill Ends Cash Bail, Limits Deadly Force, Mandates Body Cameras, and Makes It Easier To Dump Crooked Cops
Unfortunately, qualified immunity remains intact.
Off-Duty Cops Face Federal Charges for Capitol Rioting
Plus: China tech giants escape U.S. investment ban, law and order liberals reappear, and more...
District Attorney Candidates Win Big Against 'Tough on Crime'
During the last few election cycles, a wave of well-funded progressive candidates have run for prosecutor's offices in major cities. This time, quite a few reform-minded D.A.s won.
Judge's Stay Halting First Federal Execution of a Woman in 70 Years Has Been Vacated
Lisa Montgomery faces possible execution this evening.
A Libertarian Judge Champions Privacy Rights Against Warrantless Police Searches
Justice Clint Bolick dissents in Arizona v. Mixton.
Sedition Charges Are Almost Always a Terrible Idea
Laws against sedition have historically been used by insecure officials to punish critics.
West Virginia Lawmaker and Man Photographed at Pelosi's Desk Among Those Arrested for Capitol Riot
Proposals are already being floated for new unnecessary laws and punishments to address the riots.
What Should Happen to the Capitol Invaders?
Now more than ever, it’s important to separate feelings of anger from the needs of justice.
Did Trump Commit a Crime When He Riled Up His Supporters Before They Rioted?
Under federal law, incitement to riot does not include "advocacy of ideas" or "expression of belief" unless it endorses violence, which Trump did not do.
Prosecutor's Office Clears Maryland SWAT Officers in Fatal Shooting of Duncan Lemp
A report cites his "anti-government," "anti-police" ideology as an impetus for the fatal no-knock raid.
Capitol Police Failed To Contain a Riot, Then Killed a Woman in the Chaos
Yesterday's events at the Capitol building should be understood as a colossal law enforcement failure.
Joe Biden Picks Merrick Garland for Attorney General
The Biden administration has just delivered its first disappointment to criminal justice reform advocates.
Massachusetts Starts 2021 by Adopting a Process To Fire Bad Cops
The Bay State finally creates a police certification system.
The Case Against Julian Assange Is Also a Case Against a Free Press
Contrary to what the judge who blocked his extradition implied, the Espionage Act does not include an exception for "responsible" journalism.
New York Bill Would Let the State Put People in Detention if Deemed a 'Significant Threat to Public Health'
The legislation gives the government wide latitude to detain those who might have a contagious disease.
Biden's Judicial Picks Should Include Lawyers Who Battled the Government in Court
The incoming president can bring some much-needed professional diversity to the federal bench.
The Risk of Arrest for Cannabis Consumers Is Shrinking
Nationwide, marijuana arrests peaked at nearly 873,000 in 2007; the 2019 number was 37 percent lower.
Trial 4
Ellis' story is a vivid illustration of the principle that justice delayed is justice denied.
L.A.'s Reformist D.A. Promised To Eliminate Hate Crime Enhancements—Until Progressive Activists Gave Him a Call
Some progressives are for criminal justice reform only when it's convenient.
Bad Cop, No Robot
The case for legally constraining what police departments can do with robots.
2 More Cops Involved in Breonna Taylor's Death Receive Termination Letters
Louisville's police chief wants to fire an officer who shot Taylor and a detective who "lied" in the search warrant affidavit.
No Federal Charges for Police Officer Who Killed 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice
Justice Department: “It is not enough to show that the officer made a mistake, acted negligently, acted by accident or mistake, or even exercised bad judgment.”
Trump Pardons 26 More, Including Paul Manafort and Roger Stone
The list also included several drug war victims.
I Got To Inform a Person That Trump Granted Her Clemency. So Many Others Deserve That Good News Too.
Trump's clemencies last night surprised a lot of people—including one of the recipients. Clemency advocates are confident more are on the way.
Trump's Latest Round of Pardons Includes George Papadopoulos, GOP Congressmen, Blackwater Guards
Full pardons were given to the four contractors convicted of murdering Iraqis in a firefight in Baghdad.
