All Law & Courts
First LookConfederate flag still contentious, as states weigh emblem on license platesSeveral Southern states are reconsidering the option of featuring the Confederate battle flag on license plates.
Baltimore's conundrum: Should police commissioners be elected?Following months of unrest in Baltimore, some citizens are calling for the next city police commissioner to be elected. But experts say that may not be the best idea.
First LookThe vigil is over: Judge rules parishioners must end 11-year occupationMassachusetts' top court has upheld a ruling that the parishioners of a church have been trespassing throughout the 11-year vigil protesting its closure.
First LookBaltimore Uprising: Why protesters faced arrest over City Council voteA dozen activists were arrested early Thursday morning after engaging in an overnight sit-in at Baltimore City Hall.
Violent inmates have fought California fires for decades – and done wellEvidence suggests that inmates convicted of violent crimes have long been on California fire crews. A plan to expand their presence was scrapped.
Philly Police Commissioner to retire after 47-year careerPhiladelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has announced his retirement after a 47-year career in law enforcement as the administration of the mayor that brought him to the city comes to an end.
First LookMassive FBI sting frees 149 children from sexual exploitationThe sting was the ninth such effort to crack down on under-age prostitution in 135 cities, with officials saying the goal of the stings was to provide services to victims of human trafficking.
Milwaukee gun shop found liable: Outlier or new normal?For the first time since Congress shielded gun shops from liability in 2005, a jury found a gun shop liable for damages in the shooting of two police officers.
First LookIn unsolved Oklahoma child-abduction case, DNA evidence leads to arrestPolice in Midwest City, Okla. arrested a neighbor who lives two doors down from the house of Kaitlin Hatfield, an 8-year-old who was abducted from her bedroom in 1997, charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
First LookJudge denies request to bar officers' statements on Freddie Gray arrestThe six Baltimore police officers facing charges relating to the death of Freddie Gray will be tried separately, with the first trial scheduled to begin on Nov. 30.
Cleveland case shows how body cameras can help policeThe Cleveland Police Department is under intense scrutiny, but a video released last week shows how body cameras can help police and the public.
'Ferguson effect'? Chicago crime spike tells local storyChicago is one of several cities seeing a spike in violent crime. But local factors, not national trends, seem to be driving the increase.
First LookWhy Baltimore police officers want statements tossed in Freddie Gray caseSix police officers are scheduled to go on trial for charges relating to the death of Freddie Gray on Nov. 30. A judge will decide if jurors will hear the officers' initial statements.
First LookCan a gun shop be held responsible for customer crimes?Two police officers shot in the line of duty want the owners of a gun store to be held liable for the harm inflicted on them.
Behind one Supreme Court case, tale of forgiveness for sister's killerThe Supreme Court will hear a case regarding the 2,500 inmates in the US serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes committed as juveniles. Jeanne Bishop lost her sister to one of them.
Was fatal shooting of Tamir Rice justified? Expert reports say yes.A lawyer for the boy's family says the reports show that prosecutors are avoiding accountability. Tamir was killed by a police officer last November while holding a pellet gun.
First LookWhy Chicago is shuttering anti-violence programs amid spike in shootingsOperation CeaseFire deployed former gang members and felons to intervene in confrontations that can often lead to violence, but a political stalemate has left the program empty handed.
- First LookTennessee jailers accused of keeping mail sent to prisoners: Is that legal?
Prison Legal News says at least 147 items sent to prisoners by the advocacy group were not delivered because they were not on postcards.
First LookFederal judge forces NYC subway to post 'The Muslims are Coming!' adsThe MTA had rejected the ads on the grounds that they represented political speech. Judge Colleen McMahon disagreed.
First LookArizona campus shooting likely the result of an argumentOne person was killed and three others suffered gunshot wounds after a violent confrontation on Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus. A suspect is in custody.
