The Supreme Court Tackles Police Shootings, Excessive Force, and the Fourth Amendment
What’s at stake in Torres v. Madrid
Fourth Amendment
Bloomberg's Awful Old Quotes Defending Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Are Coming Back to Haunt Him
The former New York mayor is being called a racist for his former support of searching young minorities without cause.
6th Circuit: This Man Can Sue the Cop Who Arrested Him for Defending His Daughter Against a Feral Cat
Dwain Barton says Officer Dean Vann illegally entered his home and used excessive force while arresting him without probable cause.
Judge Finds That the Houston Narcotics Officer Whose Lies Killed a Couple in 2019 Framed Another Suspect in 2008
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg says it's reasonable to presume that Gerald Goines also lied in other drug cases.
The Supreme Court's Next Fourth Amendment Showdown
In November, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kansas v. Glover.
Sanders Wants More Supreme Court Justices Like Sotomayor. That's Not a Bad Idea.
The presidential hopeful weighs in on the Supreme Court.
Kentucky Lawmaker Wants To Give Police the Power to Detain People Who Don't Answer Their Questions
It’s an attempt to bypass Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections by insisting it’s not an arrest.
Does Letting Police Enter Your House Give Them Permission To Wreck It?
The Institute for Justice asks the Supreme Court to clarify a doctrine that shields cops from responsibility for outrageous conduct.
Grand Jury Backs Murder Charges Against Houston Cop Who Lied to Justify a Deadly Drug Raid
Additional grand juries will investigate possible wrongdoing by other narcotics officers, including the way the raid was conducted.
D.C.'s Police Department Is Being Sued (Again) for Sexually Violating Someone During a Search
D.C. cops appear to have a thing for illegally probing butts.
Is the FBI Snooping on Political Groups and Ideological Publications?
The Cato Institute wants Congress to investigate the FBI after it refused to confirm or deny the existence of files on dozens of political advocacy groups.
The FBI's Systematic Dishonesty
The problems revealed by the DOJ inspector general go far beyond "errors" and "sloppiness."
The FBI Will Be Audited To See How Frequently They Screw Up Other FISA Warrants
Was what happened with Carter Page an anomaly or does the agency regularly leave out important information?
Handwritten Notes Document the Collapse of the Phony Story That Led to a Deadly Houston Drug Raid
Police Chief Art Acevedo's observations about the fallen nature of humanity are no substitute for reforms aimed at preventing such abuses.
Anatomy of a Drug War Crime
A deadly raid based on a bogus tip and a fraudulent search warrant affidavit highlights loose police practices in Houston.
Oregon Cops Are No Longer Allowed To Routinely Turn Traffic Stops Into Criminal Investigations
The Oregon Supreme Court says police may not grill drivers or ask to search their cars without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.
Federal Indictment Says Deadly Houston Drug Raid Was Based on Lies From Start to Finish
The Justice Department says Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were killed in an operation based on a fraudulent warrant triggered by a false report to police.
Michael Bloomberg's Convenient 'Stop and Frisk' Conversion Is Transparently Insincere
The former New York mayor wants us to believe he suddenly realized a program he defended for 17 years was unfair and unconstitutional.
But Gorsuch!
Trump's first Supreme Court pick is better on civil liberties than his critics want to admit.
Judge Rules Feds Need Reasonable Suspicion Before Searching Tech Devices at the Border
Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless searches are reduced when entering the country, but they’re not completely erased.
Dallas Transit Agency Pays $345,000 to Settle Lawsuit by Photographer Arrested for Taking Pictures
DART police officer Stephanie Branch illegally arrested Avi Adelman after he defied her unlawful orders to stop photographing paramedics treating an overdose.
I Went to Work for the Government and I Found a Failing System
Freedom could never be imposed at the point of a gun, but perhaps it could be sown by the spread of silicon and fiber. Or so I thought.
Louisville SWAT Team Looking for Pot Needlessly Terrorizes Family, Thanks to a False Tip, a Cursory Investigation, and a Detective's Nose
The cop claimed to detect "a strong smell of fresh marijuana coming from within the house," but police did not find any.
Victims of Marijuana Raid Based on Tea in Their Trash Get Another Chance to Hold Cops Responsible
The 10th Circuit says Adlynn and Robert Harte should be allowed to pursue three federal claims against comically inept Kansas sheriff's deputies.
Cops Don't Need Another Excuse To Hassle Innocent Drivers
The Supreme Court should not let police stop cars solely because they’re registered to people with suspended licenses.
The Attorney General Is Determined to Undermine Your Privacy
The encryption limits that the Justice Department demands in the name of security would make all of us less secure.
A Mississippi County Has Agreed To Stop Using Illegal Roadblocks in Black Neighborhoods
A 2017 Reason investigation found that black residents in Madison County felt under siege in their own neighborhoods.
A License for Outrageous Police Conduct
Qualified immunity protects cops from liability for actions that would land ordinary people in jail.
Edward Snowden's Autobiography Makes a Plea for the Fourth Amendment, the Right to Privacy, and Encryption
America's most famous whistleblower calls for restricting the power of government.
Cops Accused of Stealing Over $225,000 Can't Be Sued, Thanks to Qualified Immunity
A court ruled that officers did not have enough information to know whether or not stealing violates the Constitution.
Appeals Court Rejects Qualified Immunity Claim by Dallas Transit Cop Who Arrested a Photographer for Taking Pictures
Officer Stephanie Branch arrested Avi Adelman for criminal trespass even though he was not doing anything illegal.
Detroit Police Sued Yet Again for Shooting a Woman's Dogs During a Warrantless Search
The lawsuit claims two cops yanked a woman's door open, then shot her two dogs when they ran outside.
Sandy Hook Promise Ad Hypes the Danger of School Shootings, Fostering Irrational Fears and Bad Policies
Official responses to these extremely rare crimes are grossly disproportionate in light of the risk they actually pose.
The Supreme Court's Next Big Fourth Amendment Case
What’s at stake in Kansas v. Glover.
Trump Mulls Orwellian Proposal to Stop Mass Shootings by Monitoring 'Mentally Ill People' for Signs of Imminent Violence
The program would try to develop a surveillance system based on predictive tests that don't exist.
Did You Download an App that Connects to Your Rifle Scope? If So, the Justice Department Wants to Know Who You Are.
Feds go fishing for private data in order to track down illegal exporters.
Houston's Police Chief Insists That Cops Who Executed a Deadly Drug Raid Based on Lies 'Had Probable Cause to Be There'
Although the warrant was based on a heroin purchase that never happened, Art Acevedo says, there was other, unmentioned evidence that would have justified a search.
Houston Police Union Finally Stops Backing Cop Who Instigated a Deadly Drug Raid With a Phony Affidavit
The Houston Police Officers' Union is no longer covering the legal fees of Gerald Goines, who faces two murder charges.
'I Still Think They're Heroes,' Houston's Police Chief Says of the Cops Who Killed a Couple During a Fraudulent Drug Raid
While the narcotics officers charged with murder and evidence tampering were bad eggs, Art Acevedo says, their colleagues acted "in good faith."
Houston Narcotics Cop Who Instigated a Deadly Drug Raid Is Charged With Murder
Gerald Goines justified the raid, which killed a middle-aged couple, based on a heroin purchase that apparently never happened.
Burning Man vs. the Bureaucracy
The Bureau of Land Management threatens to impose new restrictions on the famous desert festival.
Another Federal Court Allows Warrantless Cellphone Searches at U.S. Border
It’s time for SCOTUS to revisit the "border search exception" to the Fourth Amendment.
If You're Near the Scene of a Crime, Authorities Can Demand That Google Hand Over Your Data
Quiet fishing expeditions are being used to sort through potential suspects.
Court Sides With Prison Guards Who Forced Female Inmates To Expose Genitals During Training Exercise
The search raised Fourth Amendment concerns.
When Is Violating the Constitution by Pulling Over Motorists With No Legal Justification 'Not a Bad Thing'?
When the cops just want to reward you for "good driving behavior" by giving you a drink coupon, according to a Phoenix TV station.
'No One Will Hurt You,' a SWAT Officer Promised an Hour After Houston Cops Killed a Couple Falsely Accused of Selling Heroin
Evidence from the scene of the disastrous raid seems to contradict the official account.
Chicago Police Executed More Than 11,000 Search Warrants in Mostly Poor Neighborhoods Over 5-Year Period
As Chicago launches an internal probe of search warrants, new data shows where police are kicking in doors.
John Paul Stevens Was a 'Liberal Champion,' Except When He Wasn't
The late Supreme Court justice was an inconsistent defender of civil liberties.
