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.
Criminal Justice
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.
Justice Department Finds Rampant Sexual Assaults and Constitutional Violations in Country's Largest Women's Prison
The report confirms what news investigations and advocates have said for years: Lowell prison lets guards abuse women without consequence.
City Investigators Call Out NYPD for Using Excessive Force Against Protesters
Police response “likely escalated tensions and the potential for violence” say investigators.
Study: Prison COVID-19 Spread Led to Hundreds of Thousands of Community Infections
Thanks to poor management and massive rates of incarceration, people are dying both inside and outside prisons.
ICE Deports Guinean Immigrant Before He Can Testify in Jail Abuse Lawsuit
Mory Keita was involved in two cases against the government, including an ACLU suit challenging ICE and a case alleging abuse by Butler County Jail guards.
Cops Threaten To Arrest Mom Who Wouldn't Show ID When She Picks Her Kids Up From School
"I pulled the kids and I'm homeschooling."
States Are Finally Revoking Cops' License To Steal
A recent flurry of legislative activity suggests why forfeiture reform succeeds—and why it fails.
A Fourth Amendment Mistake the Supreme Court Should Fix
Don’t expand the “hot pursuit” exception to the Fourth Amendment.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin takes on the famous trial of activists who organized an anti-war protest during the 1968 Democratic convention.
Justin Amash Introduces Bill To End Civil Asset Forfeiture Nationwide
The practice is plainly unconstitutional.
In 2020, the Feds Have Executed More Inmates Than All States Combined
An annual report on the death penalty shows its use declining everywhere except in the federal government.
I Asked for Public Records on a Fatal Police Shooting. Then a Washington Sheriff's Office Sued Me.
The move is similar to what's known as a "reverse FOIA" lawsuit, which forces the requester to go to court to defend his right to access public records.
Pornhub Isn't the Problem. That Won't Stop the Politicized Crusade Against It.
The case against the popular pornography site rests on misleading data and hidden agendas.
Video Shows Chicago Police Humiliating Naked Woman During Wrong-Door Raid
Chicago went to court to try and block a local news station from airing the body camera footage.
Wish a Not-So-Fond Farewell to Outgoing Attorney General William Barr
His Trump toadying was absolutely awful, but still not nearly as bad as his unremittingly harsh approach to justice and policing.
