Houston Police Chief's Record Belies His Reformist Rhetoric After George Floyd's Death
If Art Acevedo had any shame, he would be engaging in less grandstanding and more introspection.
Search and Seizure
Prosecutors Back Dismissal of 91 More Cases Involving the Houston Cop Who Lied to Justify a Deadly Drug Raid
The announcement brings the total number of suspect cases initiated by Gerald Goines to 164 over 11 years.
Judge to FBI: You Should've Gotten a Warrant Before Turning On That Phone
Plus: Virginia decriminalizes marijuana, it's not Trump's call whether we close the country again, and more…
10 Ways a Roadside Police Stop Can Go Wrong
What could happen—and what to do about it—if you get pulled over by the cops
The Breonna Taylor Shooting Shows How Reckless Drug War Tactics Lead to Senseless Deaths
At this point, police can hardly be surprised when they are mistaken for armed criminals.
Will SCOTUS Revoke Its License for Police Abuse?
This week the justices are considering 13 petitions involving the pernicious doctrine of qualified immunity.
Weed Warriors Who Mistook Tea for Marijuana Will Pay Their Victims $150,000
After seven years of litigation, a Kansas couple finally obtains some compensation for a comically inept drug raid.
Police Abuse Breeds Disrespect
Defensive official reactions to corruption encourage the attitude that troubles the attorney general.
Bloomberg Rewrites His History of Doggedly Defending Stop and Frisk
The presidential candidate's explanation of his sudden reversal on the issue is utterly implausible.
Greyhound Finally Says No to Random Border Patrol 'Checks' of Its Buses
The company cited a recent federal memo clarifying that agents are expected to obey the Constitution.
Bloomberg's Constitutionally Oblivious Gun Battles
The presidential candidate’s gun control platform, like his defense of "stop and frisk," sacrifices civil liberties on the altar of public safety.
Houston D.A. Doubles the Scope of Her Case Review Following a Deadly Drug Raid Based on a Phony Affidavit
After declaring another man arrested by Gerald Goines "actually innocent," the Harris County district attorney says prosecutors are re-examining cases going back to 2008.
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.
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.
Contempt for Renters Leads to Second-Class Search and Seizure Protections
Signing a lease instead of a deed shouldn’t erase your right to be free of government home invasions.
The FBI's Systematic Dishonesty
The problems revealed by the DOJ inspector general go far beyond "errors" and "sloppiness."
This Bicycle Registration Law Gives Police Yet Another Excuse To Punish Insufficiently Meek Citizens
A Montgomery County, Maryland, ordinance authorizes impoundment and misdemeanor charges for cyclists who lack the requisite sticker.
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.
A Texas Deputy Is in Jail for Conducting Unlawful Strip Searches on Women
One woman alleged that Floyd Berry became aroused during an unlawful search.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No Probable Cause Required for Cops To Access User Data From Popular Apps
Only three states require police to obtain a warrant before requesting private user data from companies.
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.
John Paul Stevens Was a 'Liberal Champion,' Except When He Wasn't
The late Supreme Court justice was an inconsistent defender of civil liberties.
The FBI Hopes These Cute Puppies Will Distract You From Unconstitutional Civil Asset Forfeitures
Surrender the Fifth Amendment or the dog dies.
The Costs of Monitoring Your Prescriptions
State databases that track the medications we take invade our privacy without reducing opioid-related deaths.
New Hampshire Resists the DEA's Demands for Warrantless Access to Patients' Prescription Records
An ACLU brief bolsters the state's case, arguing that people reasonably expect information about the medications they take will be kept confidential.
Double Standards Endanger Press Freedom
The treatment of Bryan Carmody and Julian Assange reveals widespread confusion about who counts as a journalist and whether it matters.
A Sniff by a Pot-Detecting Dog Requires Probable Cause and Does Not Justify a Search, Says Colorado Supreme Court
Marijuana legalization changes the constitutional status of canine olfactory inspections.
In Deadly Drug Raid Case, a Texas County Refuses to Release Information It Has Already Released
Contradictory responses to a request for autopsy reports illustrate how law enforcement agencies take advantage of a broad exception to the state's public records law.
