All Law & Courts
Twitter sleuths help solve 'hate crime.' Should crimefighting be crowdsourced?After social media users used digital tracking tools to possibly ID suspects accused of beating up a gay couple, some ethicists caution that such Twitter-era tools could ultimately do as much harm as good.
Eric Frein: Is reenactor waging private cold war on Pa. cops?Eric Frein, who is accused of killing one police officer and wounding another, appears to have taken the role he plays as a Serbian soldier in the cold-war era into real life, investigators say.
How Islamic State is wielding the Internet in new waysFederal prosecutors announced the indictment of a New York man on charges he was trying to recruit for the Islamic State. US officials say they are increasingly concerned about the possibility of a home-grown terror threat.
Alleged Pa. police ambush shooter called a survivalist. What's that?The suspect in the Pennsylvania police barracks ambush is fueled by an antigovernment, off-the-grid brand of extremism, police have said. In that way, the case has echoes with the Atlanta Olympic bombing.
Pa. barracks shooting: Police identify survivalist suspect as manhunt continuesPennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan identified the suspect in a police barracks shooting as Eric Matthew Frein, of Canadensis, Pa. The manhunt for Frein continued Tuesday.
Trooper killed in Penn. barracks attack highlights ambush spikeA manhunt for the shooter in a fatal ambush attack on a state highway patrol barracks in Pennsylvania Friday night underscores a troubling rise in the number of surprise attacks on police officers.
US judge orders Arizona to list same-sex spouse on death certificateThe federal judge acknowledged that the surviving spouse faced 'irreparable emotional harm,' but stopped short of striking down Arizona's ban on same-sex marriages, for now.
Texas fights to reinstate tough abortion regulationsA federal appeals court case is the latest flashpoint in a battle between conservative lawmakers passing restrictive abortion regulations and women’s rights groups seeking to protect vulnerable women.
Video evidence emerges in Michael Brown shooting. How important?A video taken shortly after the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9 shows an incredulous reaction by onlookers, who yell, 'He had his [expletive] hands up!' It's 'good evidence,' but not conclusive, legal experts say.
The strange saga of Jose Padilla: Judge adds four yearsJose Padilla was convicted in 2007 of involvement in a terror conspiracy, although federal prosecutors objected to his initial sentence of 17 years. Here’s a recounting of his case.
Ferguson announces changes to policing, courts 'to improve trust'Acknowledging the complaints of protesters, Ferguson has announced plans for a civilian police oversight board and is restricting how a municipal court generates revenues for the city.
Retraining the NYPD after chokehold deathCommissioner William Bratton described on Monday new annual training for officers. Police relations with the city’s minority communities have been especially strained since an apparent chokehold death in July.
New York police test body cameras: Effective deterrent or privacy violation?Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said body-worn cameras are 'the next wave' in police equipment. But they come with unanswered privacy questions, such as when the cameras will be turned on and who will have access to the stored files.
Gay marriage bans in Wisconsin, Indiana struck down as unconstitutionalIn a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the Seventh US Circuit Court of Appeals voted to invalidate the two states' same-sex marriage bans, as well as measures barring recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states.
New disturbance at Tennessee detention center spotlights how teens are treatedThree days ago, 32 teens broke out of a Tennessee juvenile detention center. There was another disturbance Thursday. Juvenile-justice reform advocates say the way teens are managed in confinement needs to improve.
Appeals court tosses ruling on Obamacare tax credits in win for administrationThe vote by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear the Obamacare tax credit case overturns a ruling by a three-judge panel and makes it less likely the Supreme Court will hear the case soon.
US judge upholds Louisiana gay marriage ban, criticizing string of rulingsSaying 'Federalism is not extinct,' the US judge rejected the argument that the US Constitution protects a fundamental right to same-sex marriage.
Renisha McBride shooter gets 17 years in case that tested self-defense claimTheodore Wafer, who shot Renisha McBride through his screen door, was sentenced to 17 to 32 years in prison. At trial, he said he feared a break-in and 'didn't want to be a victim.'
Yelp! engaged in ‘hard bargaining,’ not extortion, appeals court saysA federal appeals court threw out a lawsuit filed by small business owners who accused Yelp! Inc., of attempting to extort advertising payments by manipulating reviews of their businesses.
Texas and Louisiana abortion laws blocked, but are clinics disappearing?Two federal court decisions in Texas and Louisiana have delayed the closure of many abortion clinics. But nationwide, the number of clinics is shrinking.
