Was the Shooting of Rayshard Brooks 'Lawful but Awful'?
Every encounter with armed agents of the state has the potential to end tragically, which is a good reason to minimize such encounters.
Criminal Justice
The Cops Who Sicced a Dog on a Surrendered Suspect Got Qualified Immunity. SCOTUS Won't Hear the Case.
"I have previously expressed my doubts about our qualified immunity jurisprudence," writes Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in a dissent.
The Libertarian Roots of Police Reform: Q&A with Radley Balko
How to stop police killings and enact real, lasting reforms.
'It's Not Easy Doing Time in Here': Michael Thompson Shouldn't Die in Jail for Pot Crimes
Michael Thompson is serving a 40- to 60-year sentence for a pot crime in a state where both recreational and medicinal marijuana are currently legal
Treating Mental Illness With Care, Not Punishment, Goes Beyond Defunding Police
We need to remove all the ways that government deters people from seeking treatment.
Justice Thomas (Dissenting) Further Arguing Against Qualified Immunity
He views the doctrine as likely not authorized by the text of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, or the legal principles that it may have implicitly absorbed; instead, he argues, it was created it just "because of a 'balancing of competing values' about litigation costs and efficiency."
BREAKING: Supreme Court Holds Title VII Prohibits Discrimination Based Upon Sexual Orientation or Transgender Status (Updated)
Justice Gorsuch writes for six-justice majority that discrimination based upon sexual orientation or transgender status is sex discrimination under Title VII.
The Atlanta Cop Who Killed a Black Man in a Wendy's Parking Lot on Friday Night Has Been Fired
Plus: "Twitter Robespierres," Trump's campaign does a weird flex on a bad poll, and more....
The Return of Court-Packing
Some progressive activist groups are trying to resuscitate the idea. Whether they succeed remains to be seen.
Washington Supreme Court Waives Bar Exam Requirement
for all J.D. graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association who are already registered for the July or Sept. 2020 bar exams.
The Former Cop Who Killed George Floyd Will Get $50K Annual Pension Even if Convicted of Murder
The family of George Floyd probably won't be able to successfully sue Derek Chauvin in civil court because of qualified immunity, but they will help pay for the killer cop's retirement.
Criminal Justice Divides the 'Conservative' Judiciary
Pundits often speak of the judiciary in terms of liberal or conservative judges issuing liberal or conservative opinions. The reality is far more complicated.
Dave Chappelle's '8:46' Expresses Righteous Rage Over George Floyd's Murder
The comedian expresses rage over police brutality while offering optimism for a better world.
How Not To Build a Transpartisan Coalition for Police Reform
Will progressives alienate allies and squander this opportunity for change?
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Horseshoeing school, tour guide licensing, and a lawsuit that will not go gentle into that good night.
A Cop Shot a 10-Year-Old and Got Qualified Immunity. Tom Brady and 1,400 Other Pro Athletes Want To Fix That.
Citing work from Reason, players and coaches from the NFL, NBA, and MLB are urging Congress to end qualified immunity.
Chicago Cops Nap and Snack in the Ruins of Riots
If this is what cities are paying billions for, no wonder people are calling for defunding.
The Revolution is Eating its Own
Jonathan Chait's article on progressive intolerance both describes and illustrates the problem.
Federal Aircraft Accused of Tracking Protesters
Plus: Breonna’s Law bans no-knock raids in Kentucky, Amazon's third-party problem, new findings on metabolism, and more...
Police Reform Should Match the Needs of Different Communities
Leave people room to experiment with approaches to protecting life, liberty, and property.
Both Left and Right Should Stop Blithely Wishing for a New Civil War
All that accomplishes is encouraging us to view our fellow Americans as enemies, to see ourselves as members of warring tribes rather than citizens of a nation.
Cornell Dean Eduardo M. Peñalver on the Jacobson Controversy
Dean Peñalver defends Jacobson's academic freedom, but adds an entirely gratuitous, and somewhat unfair condemnation of Jacobson's writings.
"Policing the Police: The Impact of 'Pattern-Or-Practice' Investigations on Crime"
An interesting draft study by Harvard economics professors Tanaya Devi and Roland G. Fryer Jr.
With 1 Republican Cosponsor, Rep. Justin Amash Gains Tripartisan Support To End Qualified Immunity
Rep. Tom McClintock (R–Calif.) announced he will support the Ending Qualified Immunity Act.
Rights and Wrongs of "Defunding the Police"
If "defunding the police" means abolishing them completely, it's a bad idea. But there are ways to use cuts in funding to improve police incentives for the better.
Pennsylvania Adopts Variant of ABA Model Rule 8.4(g)
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, with one recorded dissent, finally acted on a process that began in 2016.
Will the Cops Who Killed Kenneth Chamberlain After Illegally Breaking Into His Apartment Ever Be Held Accountable?
Responding to a medical alert they knew was erroneous, White Plains officers killed the man they supposedly were trying to help.
Is Attending a Political Protest More Important than Attending a Funeral?
American rabbis were strongly in favor of strict "stay at home" policies--until the recent protests started.
Cops Who Shot Homeless Man 22 Times While He Lay on the Ground Are Not Protected by Qualified Immunity, Appeals Court Rules
It's a perverse kind of progress, but it's progress all the same.
These Judges Defend Qualified Immunity as 'a Deferential Rule' That Protects the Police
“Officers don’t have the time to pull out law books and analyze the fine points of judicial precedent.”
The Government Was Wrong About Masks
Plus: "fictional pleas," COVID-19 in migrant detention centers, and more...
Minneapolis Police Chief Ends Contract Negotiations With Police Union
After George Floyd’s death, the city will bring in outside advisers to recommend changes to make policing more transparent and accountable.
Post-COVID Lockdowns, Early Big City Crime Stats Are Slightly Encouraging
Early COVID lockdown effects show no significant increases in most crime. In most cases, there were drops.
Senate Republican Police 'Reforms' Won't Touch Qualified Immunity
With Trump opposed too, there's little hope that a serious police reform bill will get through Congress anytime soon.
Seattle Protesters Establish 'Autonomous Zone' Outside Evacuated Police Precinct
Is the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone a brave experiment in self-government or just flash-in-the-pan activism?
