Prosecutor Drops Firearm Enhancement Against Alec Baldwin
After a tragic on-set accident, a district attorney used a law passed after the incident to threaten Baldwin with years in jail.
Prosecutors
Oklahoma Pulls Back the Relentless Pace of Planned Executions
A plan to put 25 inmates to death over two years is reconsidered.
Alec Baldwin Shouldn't Spend 5 Years in Prison for an Accident
The actor is a polarizing figure. That shouldn't matter when evaluating the criminal case against him.
Judge Rules DeSantis Violated First Amendment by Ousting Reform Prosecutor but Declines To Reinstate Him
"In short, the controlling motivations for the suspension were the interest in bringing down a reform prosecutor," the judge wrote.
If Kamala Harris Is the Future of the Democratic Party, It's Doomed
The underwhelming vice presidency of an unpopular former prosecutor has created a succession problem for the Democrats.
Kamala Harris Is a Flop
The underwhelming vice presidency of an unpopular former prosecutor has created a succession problem for the Democrats.
Pundits Predicted a Backlash Against Criminal Justice Reform in the Midterms. What Happened?
While rising crime created headwinds for candidates who supported criminal justice reform, the apocalyptic storm never quite arrived.
Judge Rules Illinois' Elimination of Cash Bail Unconstitutional
The governor and attorney general say they’ll appeal to the state Supreme Court.
Absolute Immunity Puts Prosecutors Above the Law
By giving powerful law enforcement officials absolute immunity from civil liability, the Supreme Court leaves their victims with no recourse.
This Principal Investigated a Sexting Incident. So the Police Charged Him With Possessing Child Porn.
Bradley Bass is facing 12 years in prison, despite the fact that he was doing his job as a school administrator.
Manhattan D.A. Said This Woman Acted in Self-Defense. He Prosecuted Her For Almost a Year Anyway.
Alvin Bragg has finally moved to stop prosecuting Tracy McCarter for murder.
Pennsylvania Republicans Impeached Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Now What?
If it comes down to a party-line vote, Republicans don't have enough seats in the state Senate to remove Krasner from office.
Resistant Jurors Can Help Protect Abortion Rights (No Matter What the Law Says)
In the event of prosecution, jury nullification allows regular people to exercise a veto over the power of the state.
The Crime Backlash Mostly Failed To Materialize on Election Night
Apocalyptic attack ads about crime failed to drive a red wave, and criminal justice reform candidates were still successful in several local races around the country.
Jackson, in First Supreme Court Opinion, Defends Death Row Inmate
In her short, yet searing dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argues that the court should have granted the petition of an Ohio man sentenced to death after prosecutors hid a key witness' severe intellectual disability from jurors.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
Adnan Syed's Exoneration Shows How Hard It Is To Free Innocent People
Convincing evidence of his innocence has been available for years. But the criminal legal system prioritizes procedure and bureaucracy over liberty.
Chicago's Red Light Cameras Keep Fueling Corruption Scandals
A state senator joins several local officials in federal indictments for taking bribes in exchange for contracts.
Hiring Formerly Incarcerated People Is Good, Actually
Some conservative media outlets and politicians lambast the practice. But if you care about public safety, that opposition doesn't make sense.
Manhattan D.A. To Prosecute Domestic Violence Victim for Murder After Saying It Wasn't Murder
Alvin Bragg campaigned on Tracy McCarter’s innocence. Once in office, that was apparently less politically expedient.
Ousted Progressive Prosecutor Files 1st Amendment Lawsuit Against Ron DeSantis
Former state attorney Andrew Warren says DeSantis unconstitutionally retaliated against him for his opinions, not any actions he had taken.
Sen. Rand Paul Proposes Dumping Entire Espionage Act
The law has been abused to prosecute citizens for reasons other than spying. But there are better examples than Trump to highlight problems.
Ron DeSantis Oversteps His Authority by Suspending Tampa's Elected Prosecutor
Tampa top prosecutor Andrew Warren pledged to not prosecute women seeking abortions and those pursuing gender-affirming health care.
Memphis Voters Dump Harsh D.A. in Favor of Criminal Justice Reformer
Let’s perhaps stop trying to tease national trends out of the complexities of local public safety issues.
Court Allows Sealing of Filings Related to Alleged Federal Prosecutor Misconduct
"There is no question that inaccurate statements were made by the government as part of these proceedings—to both Judge Schroeder and the undersigned"—but it appears that the details of this alleged misconduct remain sealed.
Manhattan DA Drops Murder Charge Against Jose Alba. It Never Should Have Been Filed.
The initial decision to pursue prosecution runs contrary to the campaign promises of Alvin Bragg, who claims to understand that, so often, the process is the punishment.
New Footage Shows Bodega Clerk Trying To Avoid Deadly Fight. Will Manhattan D.A. Drop the Murder Charges?
Alvin Bragg campaigned on "ending mass incarceration." But that promise apparently does not apply to Jose Alba.
Charging a Bodega Worker Who Stabbed His Attacker Isn't Criminal Justice Reform
The case of Jose Alba reminds us that progressive prosecutors don't always apply their principles when they're inconvenient.
After Chesa Boudin's Recall, What Is the Future of Criminal Justice Reform?
Research and data points may not be enough to persuade voters that something different is worth trying.
There's Still Hope for Prosecutorial Reform After Recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin
The recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin demands a rethinking of the "progressive prosecutor" brand.
Bad Candidates Threaten Criminal Justice Reform in California
In Los Angeles and San Francisco, voters face candidates who promised criminal justice reforms but whose records have been disappointing.
He Heckled a District Attorney on TV. Now He Faces 10 Years Behind Bars.
On Wednesday, a Massachusetts judge will decide whether Joao DePina will face the possibility of a decade behind bars for publicly criticizing a district attorney.
He Was Sentenced to Death After Law Enforcement Fabricated Evidence. A Federal Court Says He Can Sue.
A conservative judge expressed skepticism at the panel's conclusion before issuing a strong rebuke of prosecutorial immunity.
Local Lawyers Think 'Gross Negligence' Explains an Unlawful Murder Charge Based on a 'Self-Induced Abortion'
Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez has yet to explain how this egregious error escaped his notice.
Imagine Having a Decade of Your Life Erased. It Happened to 161 People Exonerated from Prison in 2021.
A new report shows wrongfully convicted people serving 1,849 years behind bars across the United States before being released last year.
For 20 Years, This Prosecutor Had a Secret Job Working For the Judges Who'd Decide His Cases
One of Ralph Petty's victims is trying to hold him accountable, but she will have to overcome prosecutorial immunity.
Texas Prosecutors Blatantly Ignored the Law When They Charged a Woman With Murder 'by a Self-Induced Abortion'
As Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez belatedly conceded, that charge is explicitly prohibited by the Texas Penal Code.
Conservatives Say They Care About the Constitution. Until They Talk About Criminal Justice.
Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the nation's first Supreme Court justice to have served as a public defender, and the first since Thurgood Marshall to have experience as a defense attorney. That's good.
The Supreme Court Says You Can Sue Cops Who Frame You on False Charges
The previous standard barring such lawsuits made “little sense," wrote Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the majority.
Prosecutor Extorts $300,000 Out of Alleged Drug Dealer by Threatening His Entire Family With Charges
Patrick Card's story is a case study in how the state uses civil forfeiture to try to coerce plea bargains.
States Investigate TikTok Over Alleged Harms to Kids and Young Adults
Plus: Texas can't investigate family of transgender teen, SCOTUS considers case on doctor drug trafficking, and more...
The FBI Seized Almost $1 Million From This Family—and Never Charged Them With a Crime
"It's completely changed my belief in fairness," says Amy Sterner Nelson.
New Virginia Attorney General Fires Entire Conviction Integrity Unit
Miyares' office says the conviction integrity unit is being expanded. Time will tell if it will have the independence and resources to succeed.
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos Rejected a Plea Deal. So He Got 110 Years in Prison.
Colorado First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King said she pursued the punishment after Aguilera-Mederos insisted on his right to trial.
