All Law & Courts
Cover StoryNative justice: How tribal values shape Judge Abby’s courtWhen Judge Abby Abinanti joined the Yurok Tribal Court in 2007, it operated like a normal California court but on a much smaller scale. Today, Judge Abinanti's court practices a more communal and rehabilitative form of justice.
Why Chief Justice Roberts is moving to the center of the courtChief Justice Roberts is now the U.S. Supreme Court’s ideological ‘swing vote.’ How he rules on cases like partisan gerrymandering will be watched closely.
First LookPhilando Castile's mom helps develop crisis tool kitA police officer shot elementary school cafeteria worker Philando Castile at a traffic stop in 2016. His mother has teamed up with a prosecutor and others to help police assess their preparedness for responding to crises after a police shooting.
California shuts down death row. Signs a red state may be next.California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a halt to executions in the state with the country’s largest death row, a move that follows similar actions by governors in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
In California, two proposed laws with one aim: saving livesA year after two officers fatally shot Stephon Clark, California lawmakers are weighing a pair of proposals to reform police conduct.
Criminal charges for school leaders? Florida eyes as tool for school safety.Since last year’s shooting in Parkland, activists have been focused on gun control. But Florida’s creation of a grand jury to investigate school officials suggests a new avenue for prevention: holding individuals accountable.
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First LookNew York, feds fund testing of 100K rape kits around USMore than 100,000 untested rape kits are finally getting examined with funding from a New York prosecutor and federal authorities, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests. Addressing the backlog could mean better access to justice for survivors.
First LookJudge challenges Native American custody lawA Texas judge has declared the Indian Child Welfare Act unconstitutional. It is the most serious challenge to the law since its passage in 1978, but several high-profile cases have questioned the legality of the law, which was originally designed to give Native American families preference in adoption proceedings.
First LookCalifornia governor takes aim at death penaltyGov. Gavin Newsom plans to sign a moratorium on executions, granting reprieve for the state’s 737 death-row inmates. The moves counter a 2016 ballot measure in which Californians voted to speed up death-row punishments.
First LookPlaying up substance abuse: Indictments call out prison rehab scamsIndictments in Connecticut spotlight the unregulated world of prison consulting, where ex-convicts and former prison employees charge thousands of dollars for know-how on scamming the system. White-collar convicts have made increasing use of the schemes.
First LookVerdict: Paul Manafort to serve four years in jail for tax and bank fraudFormer Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to 47 months in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians. Defending attorneys and the judge agreed Mr. Manafort would never have been charged if it were not for special counsel Robert Mueller's probe.
It’s not a bust, ‘it’s a rescue’: Florida sting shows shift on traffickingAn eight-month investigation uncovered a clandestine operation that trafficked Asian sex workers through four counties, two states, and involved more than 200 alleged johns, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
A tale of two hate crimes: a hoax unraveled and a plot foiledCriminologists say a hoax should not be used to dismiss the atmosphere that prosecutors say actor Jussie Smollett sought to manipulate. Hate crimes increased for the third year in a row in 2017, up 17 percent, according to the FBI.
How New Orleans police went from ‘most corrupt’ to model forceCan the federal government really fix corruption in police departments, or do federal monitors increase crime by lowering officer morale? New Orleans – once known as the most abusive cop shop in the US – shows that lasting reform is possible.
First LookUnder new laws, San Francisco works to lift prior pot convictionsWhen Californians voted to allow adult use of marijuana in 2016, an estimated 200,000 past pot convictions became eligible for erasure or reduction. Now a tech nonprofit, Code for America, is solving the biggest hurdle to identifying those cases.
Cover StorySolving the unsolved: How cities are turning up heat on cold casesIn 1965, US detectives routinely cleared nearly 90 percent of murder cases. Today, 40 percent of homicides go unsolved, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
- One year after Parkland, what has – and hasn’t – changed
Since the shooting in Parkland, Fla., one year ago today, nine states (for a total of 14) have implemented “red flag” laws that allow temporary seizure of weapons for a range of reasons, from domestic battery to social media threats.
Beyond guilt or innocence, should jurors weigh if law is worth enforcing?Advocates for reviving ‘jury nullification’ say it could help make the criminal justice system fairer, but critics argue it might give juries too much power to simply ignore the rule of law.
First LookJudge: Manafort lied to investigators in Russia probeA judge has ruled that Trump's former campaign chairman misled the FBI, prosecutors, and a federal grand jury about a co-defendant linked to Russian intelligence. The revelation largely rejects attorneys' argument that Paul Manafort hadn't intentionally mislead investigators.
