All Law & Courts
Wisconsin voter ID law survives Supreme Court challengeThe US Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge against a Wisconsin law that requires voters to have a photo ID. The issue splits along partisan lines.
Supreme Court to decide case over Confederate flag license plateThe US Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday about whether Texas is within its rights to refuse to offer a specialty license plate with the Confederate battle flag.
Abortion dynamics in sharp focus as judge rules against Wisconsin lawA Wisconsin law required the state’s four abortion clinics to get admitting privileges at local hospitals. But on Friday, a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, a blow to a major antiabortion strategy.
Justice Department could face sanctions over immigration caseA federal judge says Justice Department attorneys may have misled him about whether part of an executive action on immigration was implemented prior to him putting it on hold.
- Do you know the legal fight over same-sex marriage? Take our quiz.
The United States Supreme Court has agreed to examine whether states can maintain their traditional definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman, or whether constitutional protections require the states to broaden their definition of marriage to include same-sex marriages. The high court has agreed to examine state laws in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The cases are expected to be argued April 28 and decided by late June.
Test your knowledge and learn more about the legal battle over same-sex marriage in the US and beyond.
San Francisco police texting scandal: How can police root out racism?One veteran SFPD police officer has resigned and 13 more are under investigation after racist and homophobic texts came to light during a federal investigation.
Boston Marathon bombing trial: Should Tsarnaev testify in his own defense?The defense team for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the accused Boston Marathon bomber, will have to weigh the risks and rewards of putting their enigmatic client on the stand.
Robert Durst and 'The Jinx': a true crime classic, both for the tale and the telling of itAs in Truman Capote’s 'In Cold Blood' and Joe McGinniss’s 'Fatal Vision,' 'The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,' has audiences and critics obsessing not only over the real-life crime the story tells, but also over how the story came to be told.
How Madison avoided becoming another FergusonMadison, Wis., has been struggling with some of the same questions facing Ferguson since an unarmed teen was killed by police. But how Madison has responded holds lessons for how to defuse tensions.
After Ferguson shootings, how do police proceed without fear?2014 proved a particularly deadly year for police, with the number of officers shot rising to 50, fifteen of those coming from unprovoked attacks or premeditated ambushes.
As Ferguson manhunt continues, Michael Brown’s family defends policeMany of those who criticized police over Michael Brown's shooting claimed solidarity with Ferguson, Mo., officers after two were shot early Thursday morning. Mr. Brown’s family said violence against police ‘cannot and will not be tolerated.'
Justice Dept. chooses 6 cities for project on curbing racial biasResearchers will study data and conduct interviews to develop strategies for building trust between residents and law enforcement as part of the project. The announcement comes amid mounting tensions in Ferguson.
Police shootings in Ferguson raise stakes in city's efforts to clean houseTwo police officers were shot at a protest Thursday, escalating tensions in the St. Louis suburb further. In addition to resignations, like the former police chief's, experts say longer-terms reforms are needed to address decades-old grievances.
Utah firing squad decision: Could it actually make death penalty more humane?Firing squads, despite the optics, may actually be less barbaric than other methods, according to those who have looked at the data. Some critics say it also could expose what some call hypocrisy in Americans' attitudes toward the death penalty.
From Wisconsin to Georgia, police shooting investigations are changingIn the past three days, three unarmed black men in three cities were shot by police. In two out of three cases, the shootings will be examined by an outside investigator as jurisdictions try to instill greater accountability.
Supreme Court to hear case challenging Florida's capital punishment rulesOn Monday, the US Supreme Court agreed to take up an appeal by a Florida death-row inmate challenging the state's procedures for imposing the death penalty.
In Madison police shooting and beyond, Ferguson casts long shadowProtests percolated in Madison, Wis., over the weekend after a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed black teen. The unrest is an indication that, six months on, Ferguson continues to resonate.
Diverse groups tell Supreme Court they support same-sex marriageFriend of the court legal briefs supporting same-sex marriage were filed at the US Supreme Court Friday by more than 70 groups representing hundreds of individuals from across the political, religious, and business spectrum.
Ferguson report taps into debate: Should police enforce law or protect people?In the wake of a federal report on police in Ferguson, Mo., some are musing about what, exactly, the role of police in America is. Many officers indicate they’d welcome more clarity on what they're expected to do.
How a ruling against Obamacare could leave both political parties in a bindIf the Supreme Court rules against the current implementation of subsidies, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle would be hard-pressed to forge a path that would avoid leaving millions of Americans uncovered.
