All Law & Courts
Cover StoryUS has fraught history with Native adoption. Enter the Supreme Court.What is the best interest of the child? That鈥檚 the question at the core of every child welfare case. When it comes to Native adoptions, the fate of the law that set the standard for four decades now rests with Supreme Court.
First LookPolice reform momentum has slowed as states roll back legislationTwo years after the death of George Floyd, the momentum behind the push for police reform has stalled. Change is coming unevenly throughout the country, though legal experts say Mr. Floyd鈥檚 death, among others, has altered the trajectory of policing.
First LookTwo more officers head to trial for aiding George Floyd's killingThe trial of J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao聽on聽aiding and abetting counts is the third and likely final criminal proceeding stemming from the case.
O鈥媢trage in LA: Can reforms help heal wounds left by City Council racism?After a secret recording in Los Angeles聽exposed blunt racism among leaders, a state investigation is hoping to restore trust in leadership.
First LookCost of Sandy Hook lies: Jury orders Alex Jones to pay $965 millionConspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $965 million to parents and an FBI agent who suffered from his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 shooting was a hoax.
First LookFuture of Dreamers uncertain as DACA program gets reviewAfter a federal judge in Texas ruled the Obama-era DACA program illegal last year, a federal appeals court sent it back for review. In the meantime, Dreamers who seek a pathway to citizenship remain in limbo.
First LookProsecutors say Oath Keepers planned 'armed rebellion' against USThe most significant Jan. 6 trial yet is now underway in federal court, as the leader of the Oath Keepers group and four associates stand accused of 鈥渟editious conspiracy.鈥� Prosecutors are arguing that the five intended to 鈥渟hatter a bedrock of American democracy.鈥�
Supreme Court: A new term, a new justice, a blockbuster docketOften between extremes lies a more moderate option. For a number of cases this term, where the U.S. Supreme Court lands on that spectrum聽could transform American life.聽聽
First LookDOJ charges Minnesota nonprofit in $248 million COVID fraud caseIn Minnesota, 48 people were charged by the Department of Justice with a plot to take advantage of COVID-relief funds. The defendants, under the guise of providing food to underprivileged children, are accused of defrauding $250 million.
First LookYeshiva University halts school clubs after high court LGBTQ rulingYeshiva University has abruptly suspended student club activity in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ordered the school to recognize for now an LGBTQ student group.
First LookJudge overrules 1931 Michigan abortion ban, November vote loomsA Michigan judge has struck down a long-dormant law that criminalized abortion. The Michigan Supreme Court will decide this week whether to add a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights to the Nov. 8 ballot.聽
First LookEx-cop who attacked Capitol police officer on Jan. 6 gets 10 yearsA retired New York cop who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, the longest sentence handed down to a rioter so far. The former officer used a metal flagpole to attack law enforcement defending the capitol.聽
First LookFBI鈥檚 document finds prompt question: Did Trump obstruct DOJ probe?In their search of former President Trump鈥檚 Florida residence, agents found classified documents not only in the storage room but also in his office. The Department of Justice is investigating whether Mr. Trump鈥檚 team intentionally聽mishandled classified information.
First LookNew York declares Times Square a 'gun free zone' under new banFollowing a Supreme Court decision that undid New York's previous gun control legislation, a new, more limited ban takes effect in the state as officials navigate the balance between residents鈥� safety and civil liberties.
First LookRioter who came face-to-face with Schumer gets 4+ years in prisonA Maryland Proud Boy associate has just received a four year, seven month sentence for his part in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The man had encountered Sen. Chuck Schumer before a security detail hurried the senator to safety.聽聽
The ExplainerHow blue 鈥� and red 鈥� cities are resisting state abortion lawsAs decisions about the right to abortion return to states, cities are testing their limited leverage against abortion laws.
First LookSalman Rushdie stabbing suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murderDistrict Attorney Jason聽Schmidt called the attack "preplanned" and alluded to the 1989 fatwa against Mr. Rushdie's life while arguing against bail.
FocusUS is trying to stop mass shootings. How about other gun crimes?For the first time in 30 years, Congress passed bipartisan gun legislation after the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Will it help with the day-to-day violence that causes far more gun deaths?
First LookFederal judge: Ahmaud Arbery's killers get a second life sentenceTravis McMichael and Greg McMichael were sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge to a life sentence Monday for chasing down and killing Ahmaud Arbery whom they wrongfully suspected of burglary. William Bryan, who recorded a video of the event, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.聽
First LookJury tells Alex Jones to pay Sandy Hook victim's family $4M+A jury ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million to parents who lost their child in the Sandy Hook shooting. The award is far less than what the parents sought, but Mr. Jones may still pay millions more in punitive damages and in other lawsuits.
