Holding Protest Leaders Liable for Others' Violence Threatens First Amendment Rights
A lawsuit against a Black Lives Matter activist could have a chilling impact on constitutionally protected activity.
Police Abuse
An Iowa Man Published Body Camera Footage From His Arrest. The Cops Are Suing Him for Defamation.
Tayvin Galanakis was arrested last year on suspicion of intoxication, even after a Breathalyzer showed he was sober.
Sex Crime Victim Denied $69,000 Settlement Because Cops Seized Her Abuser's Cash Through Civil Forfeiture
The outrageous case has led to calls from Congress to pass legislation curbing civil asset forfeiture.
Reptile Is a Gloomy Cop Thriller About Law Enforcement Self-Dealing
With subplots about bite mark evidence and asset forfeiture, it's a parade of shady cop practices.
Weed Is Legal in Illinois. Police Searched His Car Anyway.
An officer conducted the search of Prentiss Jackson's vehicle after claiming he could smell "a little bit of weed." It ultimately resulted in a lengthy prison term.
Alabama Cops Who Arrested Mechanic for Not Giving Them His ID Denied Qualified Immunity
"The police are free to ask questions, and the public is free to ignore them," wrote a federal judge.
Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Trial Ends With 2 Out of 3 Cops Getting Qualified Immunity
The trial—and, in some sense, Timpa's life—was about transparency.
Houston Police Arrested an Animal Rights Protester and Detained Him for 16 Hours, Lawsuit Says
Daraius Dubash was arrested for peacefully protesting in a public park.
Zelenskyy Goes To Washington
Plus: Rupert Murdoch retires, Ibram X. Kendi blew through millions of dollars, and more…
The Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Police Shows Why Jury Trials Are So Important
Trials are incredibly valuable fact-finding tools—particularly when the defendants are public employees.
Police Threaten To Arrest 11-Year-Old Victim of Child Porn
"Doesn't matter," says the officer. "She's still making porn."
Seven Years Since He Died Under a Cop's Knee, His Mom Is Getting Her Day in Court
Tony Timpa's story shows how far the government goes to prevent victims of abuse from seeking recourse.
Family of 6-Year-Old Florida Girl Handcuffed at Orlando School Files Lawsuit
Kaia Rolle's ordeal led Florida to raise its minimum age of arrest to 7 years old, but her family and activists say that's not nearly high enough.
Review: Alphabet Boys Explores Federal Cops' Manufactured Crimes
A new podcast asks whether federal agents are catching bad guys or creating them.
A Cop Jailed Her for 2 Years on Fake Charges. Will She Ever Get Justice?
St. Paul police officer Heather Weyker has thus far managed to get immunity for upending Hamdi Mohamud's life.
Police Tore Up His Protest Sign. Now They Owe Him $50,000
Police also wrongly cited him for "improper hand signal" after the man flipped them off.
A Ruling Against a Man Arrested for a COVID-19 Joke Highlights the Influence of a Pernicious Analogy
A federal judge compared Waylon Bailey’s Facebook jest to "falsely shouting fire in a theatre."
'No Reasonable Officer' Would Have Arrested a Guy for a COVID-19 Joke, the 5th Circuit Says
The appeals court ruled that a Facebook post alluding to World War Z was clearly protected by the First Amendment.
Let's Sue Bad Cops: Puzzle #3
"Doctrine that lets government officials get away with way too much"
Cops Invented a Reason To Cite Man Who Flipped Them Off
Body camera footage shows that Delaware police cited Jonathan Guessford for flipping them off, even though they later agreed it was his right to do so
Owner of Kansas Newspaper Dies Amid 'Shock and Grief' After Police Raid
Plus: New Zealand libertarianism, Barbie economics, and more...
A Louisiana Man Was Jailed for Criticizing Police. A Federal Court Wasn't Having It.
The decision supports the notion that victims are entitled to recourse when the state retaliates against people for their words. But that recourse is still not guaranteed.
Police Reform and Police Recruitment Don't Have To Be at Odds
Better policing could solve the police-recruiting crisis.
Is Tou Thao More Culpable Than the Other Cops Who Helped Derek Chauvin Kill George Floyd?
The former Minneapolis officer's 57-month sentence is based largely on the premise that he was "in the best position" to save Floyd.
Appeals Court Rules Woman Who Had $8,000 Seized Through Asset Forfeiture Will Get Her Day in Court
Cristal Starling lost $8,000 after she missed one of several filing deadlines to contest the seizure of her money by police. A federal appeals court says she and others like her should be given more leeway.
Indiana Law Lets Cops Push Bystanders Back 25 Feet. A New Lawsuit Says It's Unconstitutional.
The law makes it harder to record and observe police activity.
Police Watched as a Man Drowned and Discouraged Bystanders From Helping, Lawsuit Claims
When a bystander offered to give the officers flotation devices and a small boat, they refused.
Police 'Body Slammed' Him. Now, He's Getting a $500,000 Settlement.
Police claimed Mack Nelson fell while resisting an officer. A video proved them wrong.
Kansas Cops Have 'Waged War on Motorists' by Subjecting Them to Pretextual Traffic Stops, a Federal Judge Says
The ruling draws back the veil on routine police practices that victimize innocent drivers.
NYC Agrees To Pay $13 Million to Activists Arrested in 2020 Racial Justice Protests
Plus: Twitter subpoenas Elizabeth Warren's communications with the SEC, mortgage rates are starting to fall, and more...
He Caught a Burglar in the Act. But When Police Came, He Says They Tased Him Instead of the Intruder.
Damien Smith claims in a new lawsuit that police racially profiled him and violated his First, Fourth, and 14th Amendment rights.
Homeless Veteran Sues Police After Service Dog Tased During Panhandling Arrest
Joshua Rohrer not only seeks damages for his violent arrest but also wants the city's anti-panhandling ordinance overturned on First Amendment grounds.
David Sosa Says Mistakenly Arresting Him Twice Based on His Name Violated His Rights. Other David Sosas Agree.
The 11th Circuit rejected Sosa's constitutional claims, and he is asking the Supreme Court to intervene.
Police Seized Innocent People's Property and Kept It for Years. What Will the Supreme Court Do?
Civil forfeiture is a highly unaccountable practice. The justices have the opportunity to make it a bit less so.
'I Owe Freedom My Life': Jimmy Lai Is Imprisoned for Criticizing the Chinese Government
Lai's media company covered the Communist government's abuses when other Hong Kong media wouldn't.
