All Law & Courts
First LookOregon commutes all 17 outstanding death sentencesAmid shrinking support for the death penalty nationwide, Oregon governor Kate Brown has commuted all of the state鈥檚 death sentences to life without parole. All executions in the U.S. this year took place in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Alabama.
The ExplainerAnother year, another US border crisis. Could 2023 be different?U.S. immigration reform has been needed for a generation. But amid rancor over the border, immigration experts point to Ukrainian refugees as an example of how policy can be successfully adapted for modern times.
First LookFormer CEO of FTX Sam Bankman-Fried arrested and charged by SECThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, with defrauding investors by diverting their funds to his personal hedge fund. He was arrested on Monday after separate criminal charges were filed.聽聽
First LookLockerbie attack suspect to appear in court 34 years after bombingIn 1988, a bomb on an airplane from London鈥檚 Heathrow airport killed 270 people, including 190 Americans and 35 college students. Thirty-four years later, the man suspected of planting the bomb is in U.S. custody, with prosecution in progress.
A radical election theory has day in court. Justices appear divided.The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a pivotal case that could make huge waves in how states govern elections. But some justices appear skeptical of throwing another boulder into America鈥檚 electoral waters.
The ExplainerTrump鈥檚 firm found guilty of fraud. He faces deeper legal waters.The DOJ may have to weigh which is a greater harm: If it indicts Donald Trump, it risks the loss of faith of his followers. If it lets allegations against the former president go, it risks society鈥檚 belief that everyone is subject to the law.
First LookWill Biden's loan cancellation plan pass? Supreme Court to decide.Supreme Court justices have agreed to take up the case on President Joe Biden鈥檚 student loan cancellation plan.聽The Congressional Budget Office said that Mr. Biden鈥檚 program, currently on hold, will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.
First LookOath Keepers founder convicted of sedition for insurrection plotTwo leaders of the antigovernment militia Oath Keepers have been found guilty of sedition for efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The verdict marks a significant milestone for the Justice Department聽in its Jan. 6 investigation.
First LookAlabama Gov. Kay Ivey calls for pause in executions after failuresAlabama is one of 27 states that still use the death penalty as a form of punishment. After three failed lethal injections, Gov. Kay Ivey called for a stay of executions 鈥渇or the sake of the victims and their families.鈥�
First LookDOJ names special counsel for Trump investigationsAttorney General Merrick Garland appointed prosecutor Jack Smith as special counsel in the Justice Department鈥檚 two-part investigation of Donald Trump. Mr. Garland said that Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden likely running for president again influenced his decision.
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.
