All Law & Courts
Why the federal government still rejects marijuana as medicineThe drug enforcement arm of the federal government has reiterated its steadfast rejection of marijuana for medical use, even as more states continue to move toward legalizing the drug for medical and recreational use alike.
ABA: Calling an attorney 'honey' now considered professional misconductA new resolution from the American Bar Association seeks to curb discriminatory language and actions among lawyers.
Why poor defendants face an uphill battle at Supreme Court – and how to fix itA recent study reveals that over the past decade, as many as two-thirds of indigent criminal defendants were represented by lawyers who had argued fewer than two cases before the nation’s highest court.
Could Boston offer a model for police-minority relations?Despite a history of racial tensions, Boston has escaped a lot of the turmoil that has roiled other US cities. That's thanks in part to long-term community relationships, both police officers and minority residents say.
'Breathing while black'? Baltimore police report uncovers gross injusticeThe report, law-enforcement experts say, is part of a broader federal push to shift the focus from individual instances of police misconduct to examine how and why departments allow repeated violations of minority citizens’ constitutional rights.
Federal report: Discrimination rampant among Baltimore policeA Justice Department report released Wednesday is a damning indictment of how officers in Baltimore carry out the most fundamental of policing practices.
Two years after Michael Brown shooting: How has Ferguson changed?In August 2014, the shooting death of an 18-year-old black man by police led to outrage and rioting in Ferguson, Mo. Two years later, the city has seen an evolution of activism and heightened civic engagement.
'Clock kid' sues Texas school, city: did they violate his constitutional rights?The lawsuit filed in federal court Monday claims Irving school and city officials violated Ahmed Mohamed's right to equal protection and that officers arrested him without probable cause, which the school district denies.
How police departments are ensuring the use of body camerasAfter a series of high-profile shootings that went unrecorded, departments around the country are considering stricter penalties for officers who fail to turn on their body cams.
First LookPaul O'Neal video: Did Chicago police violate the new shooting policy?The video shows Chicago officers fired at a fleeing Jaguar convertible, an apparent violation of a new department policy.
The rise of police body cameras: Who's doing it right?Body camera proponents say that footage keeps both civilians and police honest. But a new study say that many police departments need clearer policies for body camera use to prevent the erosion of civil liberties.
First LookWhy Missouri Gov. Nixon was ordered to serve as a public defenderTo protest cuts, shortages, and another year of what he calls inadequate funding, the director of Missouri's public defender system has appointed the governor to provide counsel to an indigent client.
How much did Bill Bratton's policing change New York?NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton announced his resignation on Tuesday, marking the end of a long and controversial career.
First LookWashington transit cop faces terror charges for allegedly aiding ISISAn officer in the capital's Metro system, who had been under surveillance since 2010, is the first US law-enforcement official accused of aiding ISIS.
Why Trump U suits will move forward, without videos of testimonyJudge Gonzalo Curiel said in a decision Tuesday that public interest in videos of Donald Trump's testimony about the program didn't outweigh concerns about biasing a jury.
Courts use risk algorithms to set bail: A step toward a more just system?Court systems in more than two dozen US cities and states are using algorithms that assess flight risk without considering race, gender, or socioeconomic status, in an attempt to remove implicit bias from the equation.
Delaware high court says death penalty violates the rights of a juryThe Delaware Supreme Court ruled the state’s death penalty statute unconstitutional in a landmark decision, saying it violates the Sixth Amendment.
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton to step down: a shift in policing?William Bratton, who came to personify the 'broken windows' approach to policing will step down next month, a move that could possibly signal a push toward reform, some observers say.
'Predictive policing' isn't in science fiction, it's in SacramentoSurveillance and other technologies give police new tools to fight crime. But privacy advocates and civil liberties groups ask: At what price?
Dylann Roof's defense challenges constitutionality of death penaltyLawyers for the South Carolina man accused of killing nine African-American worshippers in Charleston last June filed a motion Monday arguing that the federal death penalty is unconstitutional.
