Man Busted for Meth That Was Actually Donut Glaze Gets $37,500 for His Trouble
The Krispy Kreme Caper illustrates the limits of drug field tests and the cops who perform them.
Search and Seizure
Michigan Mayor Offers Seized Money as a Citizen Reward for Drug Snitching. What Could Go Wrong?
Incentives for neighbors to turn on each other. Incentives for police to find reasons to seize people's stuff and keep it.
Bogus Stoned Driving Arrests Highlight Dubious Methods of 'Drug Recognition Experts'
A lawsuit by three sober drivers who were busted for DUI questions the pot-detecting abilities of DREs.
After 5 Years, Ferguson Drops Bogus Charges That Cost Navy Veteran His Job
Fred Watson, who was mentioned in a DOJ report on abuses by Ferguson police, says he was arrested and prosecuted for no good reason.
Lawyer: Warrantless Blood Draw Stopped by Utah Nurse Was Legal in Another Reality
The facts and the law are on Alex Wubbels' side.
Trump, Sheriff Joe, and the Thrill of Arbitrary Power
The president admires strong men who break the law to enforce it.
Roadside Crotch Search Was Unconstitutional, Indiana Appeals Court Rules
The court says a marijuana odor did not justify reaching into a woman's underwear during a routine traffic stop.
DOJ Retreats From Speech-Chilling Demand for Information About Trump's Opponents
Federal prosecutors say they did not realize how broad their warrant was.
Federal Appeals Court Castigates Kansas Cops for Pot Raid Triggered by Tea
One judge notes that police raided a family's home "based on nothing more than junk science, an incompetent investigation, and a publicity stunt."
Marijuana Legalization Is Another Reason Dogs Should Not Issue Search Warrants
A Colorado appeals court concludes that a canine sniff-over is a search and by itself cannot supply probable cause.
Secret Government Watchlist Sweeps Up an American Family, and Now They're Suing
Lack of due process or transparency keeps father from knowing why it happened or how to fix it.
This Massachusetts Lawmaker Wants to Throw Folks in Prison for Having Secret Car Compartments
This is your war on drugs...on drugs.
Rand Paul on Blocking Indefinite Detention and Saudi Arms Sales
The Kentucky senator laments that "there's very little of this attorney general, this Department of Justice, doing anything favorable towards criminal justice or towards civil liberties"
Carrying a Gun Does Not Justify Detention, Indiana Supreme Court Says
Since possessing a firearm in public may be perfectly legal, more is required for a police stop.
Why Is Michigan Still Forcing Minors to Take Unconstitutional Breathalyzer Tests?
A new bill may end this absurd practice
Arizona Makes It Tougher for Police to Seize People's Money and Stuff for Themselves
Higher threshold required to trigger civil asset forfeiture in bill signed by governor.
Officer Feelgood, Meet the Constitution
Cops who stop motorists to give them stuff are abusing their power.
Feds Drop Child Porn Charges, Saying the Source of Their Evidence Is Secret
The DOJ won't reveal the source code for the software it used to identify Playpen visitors.
Trump's SCOTUS Nominee Is No Rubber Stamp
Unlike the president, Neil Gorsuch understands the role of an independent judiciary.
Gorsuch's Track Record Suggests He Won't Be Trump's Rubber Stamp
The SCOTUS nominee is not afraid to challenge the government when it exceeds the law.
Federal Appeals Court Nixes Blanket Drug Screening of State College Students
The decision is a welcome departure from a tendency to sacrifice privacy on the altar of a drug-free society.
What Critics of the FBI's Clinton Investigation Get Right
The examination of Huma Abedin's emails was legally justified, but it could have been faster and quieter.
Iowa Will Pay Poker Players Robbed by Forfeiture-Hungry State Cops
The state is also disbanding the interdiction team responsible for the traffic stop.
Utah Cop Arrests Shaken but Sober Car Crash Victim for DUI
The officer thought Amanda Houghton's unsteadiness was suspicious enough to justify handcuffs and a chest pat-down.
Appeals Court Says Colorado Plates Don't Justify Detaining Drivers in Kansas
Reasonable suspicion of marijuana smuggling requires more than living in a state that allows medical or recreational use.
Unreasonable Searches Are Unconstitutional—and Common
Justice Dept. report on Baltimore Police shows little respect for the Fourth Amendment.
Cops Who Stop Drivers to Give Them Stuff Are Abusing Their Power
Keep your ice cream, and I'll keep my freedom.
Color-Conscious Drug Warriors Breed Mistrust
Two recent studies confirm anecdotal evidence of racial disparities in police treatment of drivers and pedestrians.
The Drug War and the Crime of Driving (or Walking) While Black
Two recent studies show how color-conscious cops breed anger, resentment, and mistrust.
Woman Kidnapped and Sexually Assaulted by Drug Warriors Gets $1.6 Million
After a dog supposedly alerted to her at a border crossing, she endured six hours of fruitless body cavity searches.
Black Dignity Matters
Research shows that police do subject African Americans to much greater unwarranted scrutiny and harsher treatment
Biased Policing and Black Dignity: New at Reason
New studies show that increasing police stops and searches of black male drivers is completely unjustified
The ACLU Counts the Ways Trump Would Violate Civil Liberties
On immigration, surveillance, torture, and press freedom, Trump's ideas are not just bad-they're unconstitutional.
Despite Medical Marijuana, Pot Smell Justifies Searches in Arizona
The state's top court rules that the odor of plants or burnt bud provides probable cause "in most circumstances."
'Tens of Thousands' Wrongly Convicted Based on Unreliable Drug Tests
A crumb on the floor of your car can make you a felon, even if it's just a crumb.
Teenager Charged With Attempted Murder Says Drug Cops Seemed Like Armed Thugs
Austin police take stupid risks and blame the victim.
Michigan High School Student Sues Over Warrantless Breathalyzer Test
The student is challenging a local ordinance and a state law for being in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Oklahoma Police Can Pull You Over and Digitally Seize Money Right Off the Pre-Paid Cards in Your Wallet
Another tool used to fight international trafficking comes home to local police.
Canadian Businesswoman Says Three Male CBP Officers Sexually Assaulted Her
They searched her body cavities for drugs, which they did not find.
Lawsuit Says Detroit Cops Shot Confined Dog Through Bathroom Door
Owners say the officers, who were serving a drug warrant, also killed two other dogs who posed no threat.
Arkansas Trooper Steals $20,000, Because Nobody Innocent Carries That Much Cash
Prosecutors tried to drop the forfeiture case, but the judge would not let them.
No Charges Against Cop Who Got Into a Deadly Struggle After a Door Hit His Foot
Determined to arrest John Livingston for assaulting his pride, Deputy Nicholas Kehagias ended up shooting him dead.
Another Sexual Assault in Service of the Drug War
A lawsuit by a Pennsylvania woman describes a humiliating five-hour ordeal that discovered nothing.
SCOTUS Declines Opportunity to Limit Random Border Patrol Stops
The Court's decision leaves motorists vulnerable to the whims of armed government agents who can stop them at will.
D.C. Police Raided Hundreds of Homes Based on Little to No Evidence
In 284 cases over two years, officers used "training and experience" as justification for obtaining search warrants.
President Obama Wants a Back Door on Your Phone. But Not on His.
Secure communications for me, but not for thee.
