All Law & Courts
First LookWhat cities can learn from one community's handling of police shootingAttorneys for the North Charleston, S.C., and the family of Walter Scott are hailing the city's response to police officer Michael Slager's fatal shooting of Mr. Scott as a blueprint for communities around the United States.
First LookOklahoma used wrong drug in January execution, autopsy showsThe same drug was delivered for the Sept. 30 execution of Richard Glossip, who received a last-minute stay because of the mistake.
Early release for 6,000 federal prisoners: A risk to public safety?The releases are the result of changes to federal sentencing guidelines. The first batch of releases is encouraging discussion about the purported benefits and drawbacks of unlocking prison doors early for drug convicts.
First LookMassachusetts man blamed for string of bomb threats in four statesA Massachusetts man was charged in federal court for sending four different bomb threats to four schools within the past year.
First LookArkansas lethal injection case highlights larger issue of secrecyAn Arkansas county court judge will weigh in on a lawsuit by death row inmates against the state's secrecy of lethal injection, as pharmaceutical companies tighten the reins on distribution.
First LookWhy a 15-second rap video set Los Angeles police on edgeA video of someone brandishing a loaded gun near an LAPD officer has been discovered to belong to an old hip-hop group. But many in law enforcement are remaining on high alert.
Texas inmate executed for killing man in $8 robberyTexas on Tuesday executed death row inmate Juan Martin Garcia, convicted for killing another man in a 1998 robbery, in the 11th lethal injection in the state this year.
First LookJustice Department plan to free thousands of inmates is just the beginningThe Justice Department plan to reduce sentences for some 6,000 nonviolent drug offenders in federal prisons is part of a larger effort to make US justice 'work smarter.'
- Why the Justice Department will soon release 6,000 prisoners
Federal authorities will release thousands of nonviolent drug offenders early in a bid to relieve the prison's overcrowded populations amid changing views about mass incarceration.
First LookCalifornia governor shares personal struggle at assisted-suicide bill signingCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide Monday, and shared his personal feelings and reflections on both the politics and religious import of the bill.
- First LookAfter 25 years in prison, judge tosses man's conviction in NYC subway killing
A man convicted in the 1990 New York subway murder of Brian Watkins will receive a new trial after 25 years in prison, a New York judge said Tuesday.
Is Snowden ready to come home?In an interview with the BBC on Monday, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that he's volunteered to go to prison many times.
First LookPhiladelphia campus lockdown strikes chord after Internet threatA student's claim that a man pulled a gun on campus renewed anxiety one day after the FBI warned Philly schools of an unspecified threat, rumored to be a copycat warning based on last weekend's shooting in Oregon.
California law could help minorities, or just bury police in paperworkCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law to create a public database of police stops in an effort to combat racial profiling. Advocates and critics call it one of the toughest in the nation.
First LookTexas inmate facing execution Tuesday claims he was 'railroaded'Juan Martin Garcia's execution is scheduled for Tuesday, after a Texas board refused his most recent appeal last week.
First LookShould 11-year-olds carry guns? Shootings complicate learning by doing.Two incidents occurred last weekend in which an 11-year-old fatally shot another child revealing the complex reality of children learning gun safety by operating weapons.
First Look‘We don’t serve cops here’: Dunkin’ Donuts employee turned away policeTwo incidents at separate Dunkin’ Donuts stores in New England once more highlighted the rift between law enforcement and the black community.
First LookTragedy averted: California students helped thwart would-be shootersTeenagers plotting to open fire at a Northern California high school were arrested after fellow students overheard their plan.
The hidden costs of funding prisons instead of schoolsAs state incarceration rates continue to rise across the country, so are cuts in higher education funding.
How to save kids from ISIS? Start with momParents who suspect a child may be radicalizing face a heartrending choice: If they remain silent, their child may leave to join the terrorists. If they call the authorities, that may result in a prison term. They need a third option, experts say.
