All Law & Courts
Police kill black teen near Ferguson, but similarities appear to end thereA police officer in a town near Ferguson, Mo., fatally shot a black teen. But the teen was armed and threatening, police say. It's another window into a world coming into sharper focus: How police make split-second decisions.
Will New York protesters' defiance harm their cause?Protesters are ignoring Mayor Bill de Blasio's request to postpone activities until after the funerals for two slain NYPD cops. In doing so, they are walking a thin line.
Why protesters are ignoring New York mayor's plea for a pauseNew York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants protesters calling for police reform to remain quiet until two slain NYPD cops are buried. But protest groups say their cause is not connected to the actions of the killer.
With call to 'put aside protests,' New York mayor seeks common groundMayor Bill de Blasio asked that protests and politics be put on hold in honor of two slain NYPD cops. In the raw emotion of tragedy, tensions have escalated.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio tries legal Hail Mary against Obama immigration planPresident Obama's critic-in-chief over illegal immigration, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Phoenix, is determined to stop the plan to defer deportation for millions of immigrants. But his influence is waning.
Killing of NYPD officers: Retaliation for Michael Brown, Eric Garner?Ismaayil Brinsley, who killed himself after apparently killing two New York police officers, posted Instagram messages about Michael Brown and Eric Garner, plus a photo of his gun. ‘They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of theirs,’ he wrote.
NYPD ambush attack: Why police accuse mayor of having 'blood' on his handsThe 'assassination' of two NYPD cops Saturday comes as the city is rife with tension. Police officials say Mayor Bill de Blasio set the tone for the shootings by siding with protesters in the Eric Garner case.
Executed at age 14, George Stinney exonerated 70 years laterSouth Carolina electrocuted George Stinney after he was convicted of killing two white girls in 1944. The trial lasted three hours, and George's lawyer had never before represented a criminal defendant.
This year, US imposed fewest death sentences in four decadesThe decline in the use of the death penalty stems from a combination of factors, including a large drop in violent crime and the fact that all states with the death penalty now offer the alternative of life in prison without parole.
Boston Marathon bombing: Can Tsarnaev get a fair trial in Boston?The trial for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is slated to take place some three miles away from the finish line of the race. The final hearing before the trial is scheduled for Thursday.
Supreme Court allows injunction in Arizona abortion case to standThe US Supreme Court declined to hear arguments from Arizona officials seeking to reverse an appeals court injunction temporarily blocking implementation of a state law that sought to restrict drug-induced abortions.
Supreme Court: Should ban on juvenile life sentences be retroactive?The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that mandatory life sentences for juveniles constituted 'cruel and unusual punishment.' On Friday, it agreed to take up a case that will decide whether that earlier decision should be applied retroactively, thereby giving 'hundreds' of prisoners a shot at parole.
Amid Garner and Brown outrage, bill would reform federal grand juriesThis week, Rep. Hank Johnson (D) of Georgia unveiled a bill that prohibits the use of out-of-public-view grand jury hearings when it comes to cases where a police officer has killed a citizen. The bill also would require an outside prosecutor to investigate officers in such cases.
College-age sexual assault: Students less likely to report rapes to policeA new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics covers almost two decades and offers a wealth of statistics about rapes and sexual assaults among young women.
In wake of Garner case, new plan to investigate cops who kill takes shapeAs a growing chorus of bipartisan critics urges the appointment of special prosecutors to investigate killings of citizens by police, New York's attorney general has asked for statewide control of investigations involving actions of police.
The ExplainerEric Garner case 101: Why grand juries rarely indict police officersIn the wake of the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases, questions have arisen regarding the grand-jury system and whether working relationships between prosecutors and law enforcement complicate the process when it comes to cases involving officers.
Supreme Court declines dispute about BP oil spill compensation fundBP had petitioned the court to rule on a broad interpretation of who should be compensated in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Why impact of Eric Garner case might be much bigger than FergusonMichael Brown's death largely divided Americans along racial lines and political lines. The early reactions to the Eric Garner death suggest that Americans are far more united in their response.
Obama’s black cabinet heads spar over racial profiling banPresident Obama’s top African-American lieutenants – Eric Holder and Jeh Johnson – have had to balance civil rights ideals with national defense as new profiling rules for federal agents faced scrutiny from America’s first black President.
Eric Garner: Chokehold his own doing, or 'death by economic regulation'?Eric Garner’s enough-is-enough stand when police stopped him for illegally selling cigarettes points to political and economic policies that seem to protect the powerful at the expense of the marginalized.
