Science-Based Policy Means Decriminalizing Sex Work, Say Hundreds of Researchers
Plus: ACLU joins fight for donor privacy, Parler drops lawsuit against Amazon, and more...
Criminal Justice
New Laws Against Domestic Terrorism Are Unnecessary and Dangerous
Violent acts are already illegal, and new tools will inevitably be used against those who annoy the powerful.
After the Cops Seized Her Car, the Government Waited Five Years Before Giving Her a Chance To Get It Back
In Massachusetts, Malinda Harris argues, civil asset forfeiture routinely violates the right to due process.
Ayanna Pressley Revives Justin Amash's Bill To End Qualified Immunity
The Ending Qualified Immunity Act of 2021 would no longer let state actors violate your rights without consequence.
The Washington Supreme Court Just Decriminalized Simple Drug Possession. Legislators Shouldn't 'Fix' the Overturned Law.
The court said criminalizing unknowing possession violates the right to due process.
A California Man Died After Cops Knelt on His Neck During a Mental Health Call. Then the Department Tried To Hide It.
Angelo Quinto's family has filed a wrongful death claim.
In June Some House Moderates Voted To Abolish Qualified Immunity for Cops. Now They're Not So Sure.
Strategic politicking, police union influence, or both?
Belly of the Beast
A new documentary explores forced sterilizations in California's women's prisons.
What Happened When Life Sentences Got Out of Control
The prisons are filled with aging inmates who no longer pose a public threat.
Arizona Lawmakers to Cops: You Should Convict People Before You Take Their Stuff
Civil forfeiture reform failed last year. But now more legislators are on board.
SCOTUS Rules Against an Innocent Man Who Was Choked and Beaten by Cops, but He May Still Get His Day in Court
The justices did not address one of James King's key arguments, which the 6th Circuit will now consider.
Federal Suit Seeks Damages for Men Illegally Recorded at Florida Massage Parlors, Falsely Smeared as Sex Traffickers
Two women still face felony charges, though the cases against all male defendants were dropped.
Despite Its Own Warning That 'Congress Itself Is the Target,' the Capitol Police Did Not Expect Anything Like Last Month's Riot
The agency also missed an FBI bulletin citing "specific calls for violence."
States Can Provide Their Own Civil Remedies for Police Abuse
They need not wait for the Supreme Court or Congress to restrict or abolish qualified immunity.
A New Report Shows Elijah McClain Was Killed by a Cascade of Constitutional Violations
An independent panel concludes there was no legal justification for stopping, frisking, arresting, or assaulting McClain.
A Prison Guard Who Pepper-Sprayed an Inmate Without Provocation Got Qualified Immunity. SCOTUS Disagreed.
An encouraging sign from the Supreme Court
Merrick Garland's Worrying Record on Criminal Justice Reform
What to expect from Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general.
Indiana Senate Passes Bill To Let Government Steal Stuff From People Suspected of 'Unlawful Assembly'
Vague laws are typically vague for a reason.
South Dakota Supreme Court Rules Property Owners not Entitled to Compensation for Severe Damage to their Home Inflicted by Police During a Law Enforcement Operation
The ruling denies relief under a state constitutional provision requiring compensation for "taking" or "damaging" of private property by the government. Many other states have similar provisions.
Los Angeles Slashes Number of School Police Amid National Debate
The plan will shift $25 million away from school police and into support services for black students.
Study: Democratic Governors Feed the Prison-Industrial Complex
Electorally vulnerable Democratic governors have historically been tougher on crime than Republicans.
Video: Two 'Homeless Liaison' Deputies in California Kill a Man for Jaywalking
It's a vivid example of why people are demanding alternatives to police responses.
New Mexico Could Be the Third State To Authorize Lawsuits Against Abusive Cops Without Qualified Immunity
A bill approved by the state House would let people sue government officials for violating rights protected by the state constitution.
Trump's Messy Pardon Spree Left Too Many Behind. Biden Must Do Better.
Criminal justice groups say Biden should move the pardon process out of the Justice Department and consider categorical clemencies.
5th Circuit Grants Qualified Immunity to Cops Who Ignited a Suicidal, Gasoline-Drenched Man by Tasing Him
The appeals court concluded that the officers' use of force was reasonable in the circumstances.
Civil Forfeiture Does Not Seem To Reduce Drug Use or Help Fight Crime
A new study provides further evidence that property seizures are driven by financial motives rather than public safety concerns.
Appeals Court Rules Against New York Police Unions, Says Misconduct Records Can Be Released
The 2nd Circuit rejected the police unions' arguments that disclosure would invade officers' privacy and put them in danger.
Judge Threatens to Jail North Carolina Town Officials for Seizing Man's Money, Refusing To Return It
A misdemeanor marijuana charge leads to an attempt to take $17,000.
Biden Says Drug Users Shouldn't Be Jailed but Won't Do Anything To Stop It
Plus: "Cancel culture" confusion, Biden rejects student loan forgiveness, Stossel and Snowden on internet privacy, and more...
FBI Arrests Activist Daniel Baker Over Posts About Police Abuse and Self Defense
Plus: The aftermath of the New York Times' anti-Pornhub crusade, and more...
SCOTUS Refuses to Let Alabama Execute Willie Smith Without His Pastor Present (Without Noting Who Cast the Fifth Vote)
With Justice Barrett joining Justice Kagan, does Dunn v. Smith represent a shift on the Court?
Rochester Releases More Footage of Police Pepper-Spraying Nine-Year-Old
"You did it to yourself, hon," the officer says.
Derek Chauvin May Get a Sentence Much Shorter Than the One William Barr Thought Would Be Seen As Too Lenient
The former attorney general reportedly nixed a plea deal that involved a sentence of more than 10 years but would have precluded a federal prosecution.
