All Law & Courts
Smash-and-grabs, California, and the limits of criminal justice reformSmash-and-grabs across the country are raising questions about criminal justice reforms, and how best to combat modern-day organized crime.
First LookSupreme Court says clinics can challenge Texas abortion lawThe Supreme Court ruled that abortion clinics can proceed with lawsuits against a Texas law making abortions after six weeks illegal. But it left S.B.8 in effect in the meantime.
First LookEmmett Till's case closes again with calls for justice unansweredThe U.S. Justice Department announced Monday it will close an investigation, reopened in 2017, into the death of Emmett Till, who was tortured and killed after a white woman accused him of sexual advances in 1955. No one has been found guilty of his murder.
First LookThree questions: How often are parents charged in school shootings?Parents are rarely charged for school shootings. Why are prosecutors building a case against Ethan Crumbley's parents after four students were fatally shot in Michigan.
First LookIt’s likely Mississippi’s abortion law will stand. What’s next?After oral arguments Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared likely to uphold Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks, and may overturn Roe v. Wade entirely.
First LookCalifornia law says corporate boards need women. Is that legal?A California trial court will hear a case on Wednesday to decide if the state can legally require publicly traded companies to have women on their boards. The law has been in effect for three years, but opponents say a gender-based quota is unconstitutional.
FocusWhy abortion fight isn’t over if Roe is overturnedFor the first time in decades, the federal right to abortion faces an existential threat. State constitutions could then become the new battlegrounds.
First Look‘A long fight’: Three men convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arbery trialAfter 10 hours of deliberation, all three men charged in the the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder. These men face minimum sentences of life in prison, with the possibility of parole yet to be decided.
After Rittenhouse: What an era of armed protest means for AmericaArmed protests and Kyle Rittenhouse’s successful self-defense claims raise key safety concerns – with nuances spanning racial lines.
First LookChristmas parade hit-and-run renews questions around bailThe man who killed five people in a Wisconsin Christmas parade was recently released on bail. Some lawmakers underscore the need for higher bail amounts, while legal experts caution one extreme case shouldn’t keep poorer defendants in jail while they await trial.
‘Refund’ the police? With crime high, debate rises in Maryland.The rhetoric about police funding can slip into extremes. But as the state of Maryland shows, there’s more agreement than polarizing terms suggest.
First LookNot guilty: Kyle Rittenhouse cleared of homicide chargesThe jury’s verdict is in: Kyle Rittenhouse has been pronounced not guilty after pleading self-defense in a contentious trial over the men he shot during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer.
First LookWho killed Malcolm X? Men accused of his 1965 murder cleared.Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam were sentenced to life in prison for the 1965 murder of Malcom X. Fifty-six years later, on Nov. 18, 2021, a Manhattan judge dismissed their convictions, following decades of doubt surrounding their case.
Vigilance or vigilantism? Old laws’ legacy in modern US.The Rittenhouse trial, the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers, and Texas’ abortion law all come amid more Americans demonstrating a willingness to police others’ behavior.
First Look'Public face' of Jan. 6 riot sentenced to 41 months in prisonJacob Chansley was one of the first rioters inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. “My behavior is indefensible,” he said.
First LookBritney Spears' conservatorship ends. What's next for this tool?California Judge Brenda Penny terminated the conservatorship that controlled pop singer Britney Spears' life choices and money for nearly 14 years.
Cover StoryWhy Albuquerque’s latest experiment in policing doesn’t involve officersAlbuquerque, New Mexico, sends out mental health specialists to deal with nonviolent 911 calls, freeing up police to handle other emergencies.
Is civics education a ‘right’? Rhode Island case tests theory.An educated society is vital to democracy, but are schools obligated to teach students how government works? And who decides, states or the courts?
First Look'Not going to stop': How US Justice Department fights cybercrimeRansomware attacks, in which hackers lock and encrypt data then demand exorbitant sums of money for its release, have risen significantly in the past year. The U.S. Justice Department is committed to fighting back, using extraditions and monetary seizures.
In Texas abortion cases, hints of new Supreme Court transparencyAs it wades deeper into what’s poised to be a scrutinized term, the Supreme Court appears to be more responsive to a call for greater transparency.
