Boston Bomber May Dodge Death Penalty as Justice Department Preps for More Executions
Court panel rules judge didn't properly evaluate juror bias against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Criminal Justice
The Weed Warriors Who Mistook Tea for Marijuana
The Hartes were the victims of a comically inept publicity stunt executed by cops who did not realize that hydroponic equipment could be used to grow tomatoes and did not know what loose-leaf tea looked like.
Connecticut Passes Law Curbing Qualified Immunity - but with Loopholes
The law is a step in the right direction, but has significant limitations, that should be a warning sign for future reform efforts.
Detroit Police Department Settles Another Dog Shooting Lawsuit After Video Contradicts Cop's Account
A 2016 Reason investigation found Detroit police have a nasty habit of shooting dogs during drug raids.
Lots of Talk But Much Less Action on Police Reform
Getting government officials to put their packs of enforcers on shorter leashes is the definition of an uphill battle.
Homeland Security Seized $2 Billion in Cash From Travelers at U.S. Airports
In two-thirds of those cases, there were no accompanying arrests.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Tells Retailers To Call the Cops on Customers Who Don't Wear Masks
Armed agents of the state shouldn't be enforcing mask mandates.
Everybody Is Jumping to Conclusions About This Couple's Show of Force in Response to Trespassing Protesters
Mark and Patricia McCloskey's justification for brandishing their guns depends on facts, not ideology.
Federal Cops Are Leaving Portland. But Will the Standoff Really End?
With many of the city's entertainment options shut down, protesting has become a form of nightlife.
After Failing To Quell Unrest, the Feds Will Depart From Portland
President Trump sent federal agents to squash protests, but the situation has continuously escalated.
What Explains Why Homicides Are Increasing Significantly Across the Country Since Late May?
A "Minneapolis effect" from lack of policing is a possible explanation for the startling 37% increase in murders in major cities in recent weeks.
A SWAT Team Blew Up This Family's Home in Pursuit of a Suspect Who Wasn't Even There
Nor did the suspect live at the residence.
CBP Official Allegedly Said Agents Should 'Beat That Tonk Like a Piñata Until Candy Comes Out'
The 2012 internal affairs report complaint was filed by a use-of-force instructor who warned the advice could lead to lawsuits.
Coronavirus, Protests, and Policing Expose Government Failure at Every Level
The summer of 2020 got a lot crappier over the weekend, according to the Reason Roundtable podcast.
The Libertarian Party Mourns Garrett Foster, Activist Killed at a Black Lives Matter Protest
"Garrett Foster understood that libertarianism was about speaking on behalf of those who are the most acutely affected by the abuses perpetrated by an overly aggressive and unaccountable government."
National Guardsman Contradicts Trump Administration's Account of Use of Force Against Protesters
A National Guard officer will testify that the June 1 clearing of protesters outside the White House was "an unnecessary escalation of the use of force" and "deeply disturbing."
New York Police Unions Partly Succeed in Stopping Release of Misconduct Records
A federal judge gags the New York Civil Liberties Union, but a media outlet manages to collect and publish a database of misbehaving cops.
RIP Arnold Trebach, Who Helped Make Opposition to the Drug War Respectable
The American University professor called for "drug peace" at a time when both major parties were committed to ever-escalating violence.
Miami Police Setting Up 'Mask Traps,' Issuing $100 Fines to People Wearing Masks Improperly
The theoretical case for government mask mandates has to be weighed against the reality of their enforcement.
The Government Should Stop Mandating the Use of "Race" in Medical and Scientific Studies
The FDA and the NIH each require as a condition of funding that scientists break down their data by a totally unscientific "race" classifications.
Are These the Folks You Want Policing Your City?
However necessary a federal presence may be in some places, DHS should leave the CBP at home.
The Feds Are Still the Jackbooted Thugs We Were Warned About
Government agents brutalizing people are in the wrong, whether or not we sympathize with those on the receiving end.
Chief Justice Roberts and Injunctive Relief
The Chief Justice's votes against injunctive relief for churches, voters, and those on death row are of a piece.
On-Campus Recruiting over Zoom
Law schools can help their students present better interviews over videoconferences.
Can Congress Issue A Subpoena to Federal Judges About Internal Judicial Deliberations?
Could the House or Senate require Federal Judges To testify why they declined to recuse in a case?
Adult Daughter Who Relies on "Faith-Based Medicine" Loses Guardianship Over Intellectually Disabled Mother
The Alaska Supreme Court, applying the RFRA-like state constitutional regime, concludes that removing the daughter as guardian is necessary to serve a compelling government interest.
Dispatch From Portland: The Morning Crew
A tarot card-reading liberal arts major, a Sudanese immigrant, and a former restaurant worker explain why they are out protesting in Rose City.
The Three Dissents in Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak
Justice Kavanaugh's dissent cogently explains why the Chief Justice erred in South Bay. The Chief Justice has no response.
The "NO BAN Act" Would Modify The Statutory Regime That Authorized President Trump's Travel Bans
This statute would obviate the statutory analysis in Trump v. Hawaii.
Portland Protesters Get the Immigrant Treatment
Trump sics his border police on Americans: We are all immigrants now
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
A transatlantic pie fight, a pecunious divorce, and a putrid pool of purple ink.
Judge Orders Federal Officers in Portland To Stop Harassing and Assaulting Journalists and Legal Observers
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon reminds the feds that they are bound by the First Amendment.
Where's Republican Federalism During Trump's Urban Invasions?
A president from a party supposedly committed to restraining the federal government is now sending enforcers to cities over local objections.
New in the Atlantic: Justice Gorsuch's Half-Way Textualism Cuts the Civil Rights Act and Oklahoma in Half
Justice Gorsuch needs to account for both text and precedent when interpreting old statutes.
Judge Callahan (CA9) Corrects Press Report That Failed To Note Her Dissent
The reporter made a good-faith mistake based on an incomplete PACER download. Judge Callahan should apologize.
