All Law & Courts
In wake of Eric Garner case, should grand jury system be reformed?Protests show that perceived injustices such as the Eric Garner case create a brand of ill will that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday called 'corrosive to society.' But reforms to the grand jury system could lead to unintended consequences.
Can states refuse to issue Confederate flag license plates?The Supreme Court agreed Friday to take up a case challenging the state of Texas's right to refuse a petition for vanity license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag.
With death of unarmed Phoenix man, has national debate reached critical mass?Protesters marched overnight in Phoenix after a police officer shot Rumain Brisbon, an unarmed black man. To the police – and Brisbon’s mother – the case was not racially motivated. The picture police paint of him is starkly different from the one his family and attorney put forward.
Justice Department cites Cleveland police for excessive use of forceFollowing a US Justice Department investigation reporting a pattern of police shootings and other unnecessary use of force, officials in Cleveland have agreed to an independently monitored overhaul of the police department.
Progress WatchWhy 20 year drop in crime is more impressive than it seemsThe decline is occurring at the same time as two factors long believed to lead to an increase in crime: The US prison population is dropping and the number of young adults has risen.
Amid anger over Eric Garner, a unique moment for change in NYPDTo some extent, the New York Police Department has already implemented some changes, the mayor and others note. But the Eric Garner case, as well as Ferguson, point to the challenges ahead.
Does Eric Garner chokehold case show limits of body cameras for police?As the video tool gets a fast track nationally, many observers say the lack of an indictment in the Eric Garner case points out the fact that the full range of pluses and minuses of the technology still need deeper consideration.
Why 17 states are suing Obama administration over immigration actionTexas and 16 other states filed suit on Wednesday, charging that the president's executive action on immigration is unconstitutional.
Eric Garner case: why it might not be Ferguson all over againOn Wednesday, a grand jury declined to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner. While there are striking similarities in the Garner and Michael Brown cases, the differences may change the dynamics that led to deep racial divisions in the Missouri case.
NYC 'stop and frisk' almost gone. Yet crime continues to drop. Why?Even as 'stop and frisk' ebbs, New York City's crime rate has hit a 20-year low. What's going on?
Pregnant workers' rights: Supreme Court takes up UPS driver's caseThe justices appeared divided on Wednesday on whether the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act would have required the company to offer a light-duty assignment to a pregnant driver whose doctor ordered her not to lift anything heavier than 20 pounds.
Eric Garner grand jury probe shows similarities to Michael Brown caseA decision could come Wednesday in the grand jury investigation of the police killing of Eric Garner, a black man, in New York. The proceedings have been as unusual as those in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Mo., one expert says.
Are Facebook rants threats or free speech? Supreme Court takes up case.The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case challenging a federal conviction of a man who posted threatening rap lyrics about his estranged wife on social media.
US Supreme Court declines to hear juvenile life sentence caseThe US Supreme Court's refusal to take up the case opens the door for Addolfo Davis, who was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he committed at the age of 14, to receive a new sentence.
Ferguson protesters follow path of 1960s activistsThe response to the police shooting of a young black man in Ferguson, Mo., is beginning to follow the path of civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s, including long marches, campus teach-ins, and nonviolent civil disobedience.
Death penalty in 2014: why US has seen fewest executions in 20 yearsThe downward trend in executions has several explanations, but experts say it’s probably not because of death penalty debates about innocence and guilt. Rather, they say, it’s the details of how the state goes about ending a condemned life.
FocusThe view from the US county where death penalty invoked the most, per capitaMore than half of US death sentences come from 2 percent of counties. Duval County in Florida tops the list. By and large, residents there are death penalty supporters.
Authorities look at 'antigovernment' motive in Austin shootingsThe attack on government buildings in Austin, Texas, comes at a tense time in immigration politics, after President Obama took executive action to help an estimated 4 million to 5 million unauthorized immigrants.
Darren Wilson testimony raises fresh questions about racial perceptionsDarren Wilson's characterizations of Michael Brown in his grand jury testimony have led to renewed questions about how white cops' perceptions of black suspects plays into use of force.
What's in Ferguson files? Little clarity, lots of questions.The 5,000 pages of grand jury testimony and evidence released Monday show the legal process worked, some say. Critics say the exhaustive process was the problem.
