All Law & Courts
First LookJustice for Breonna? Louisville police officers charged by DOJ.The U.S. Justice Department has charged four Louisville, Kentucky, police officers involved in the deadly Breonna Taylor raid with civil rights violations. Ms. Taylor was shot to death by Louisville officers who had knocked down her door while executing a search warrant.
First LookA reckoning for truth: Alex Jones revokes conspiracy theory in trialParents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim are seeking $150 million in compensation from from far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who claimed the shooting was a hoax. Mr. Jones now admits the attack was real. The jury began deliberations on Wednesday.
Supreme Court is US 鈥榙ecider.鈥� Here鈥檚 how other nations check judiciary.By default, the Supreme Court has become the decider of many U.S. issues. Other nations have different systems that lessen the friction a high court decision can cause.
First LookDepartment of Justice challenges Idaho anti-abortion lawsThe US Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Idaho claiming the state鈥檚 anti-abortion laws conflict with a federal law requiring doctors to provide pregnant women with medically necessary treatment that could include abortion.
First LookJan. 6 rioter gets 7 years, longest prison sentence yet by farA Jan. 6 rioter who brought a gun to the Capitol and vowed to personally drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of it has been sentenced to seven years in prison. That鈥檚 by far the longest penalty handed down so far to anyone who took part in the attack.
First LookDOJ defends minority homebuyers in Philadelphia from discriminationThe Department of Justice says that a Warren Buffett-owned company avoided offering mortgages in certain areas, blocking African Americans and other minorities from obtaining housing. Now, following a legal settlement, the company will have to make it right.
First LookPenalties for Floyd ex-cops bring hard questions about responsibilityGeorge Floyd鈥檚 family members and activists are frustrated over sentences for the ex-cops who took part in Mr. Floyd鈥檚 arrest that are shorter than federal guidelines recommend. Yet, a legal expert says even this level of legal responsibility is 鈥済roundbreaking.鈥�
First LookJudge in Capitol riot case gives 63-month sentence, ties longest yetA Jan. 6 rioter, who violently attacked police officers, has received a prison sentence of more than 5 years. He is one of more than 200 rioters sentenced so far, as legal consequences continue to pile up even as the congressional Jan. 6 inquiry winds down.聽
FocusUvalde aftermath: In this policing era, what does leadership look like?The operational inertia during the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting is emblematic of a larger struggle in policing to internalize not just the nature of courage, but what defines a leader.
First LookSentence for ex-officer involved in George Floyd鈥檚 death: 2.5 yearsFormer Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Lane聽has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for his role聽in George Floyd鈥檚 death. Mr. Floyd鈥檚 family says that鈥檚 not long enough. The defense argued that Mr. Lane was the least culpable of the officers involved.
Where more women cops walk the beatDuring a recruiting crisis in police departments across the U.S., women are being welcomed as officers. That shift toward equality is opening new professional opportunities and improving policing.聽
First LookDetroit limits cash bail, aiming to relieve racial inequalityDetroit is limiting courts鈥� use of cash bail, a move meant to lessen racial inequality in the U.S. city with the highest proportion of African Americans. The reforms will not ban bail, but will limit when courts can ask for it, protecting due process for those who cannot afford it.
FocusSupreme Court turns to history: How does past speak to the present?As the U.S. moves forward, its highest court is looking to the past. But putting a premium on history and tradition leaves open several questions: 鈥淲hat do we mean by history and tradition? Whose history? Whose tradition?鈥澛�
First LookTexas clinics halt abortions after state Supreme Court rulingClinics are shutting down abortion services in Texas after the state鈥檚 high court blocked an order that briefly allowed the procedure to resume in some cases.
First LookNorth Carolina appeal could reshape state power over electionsThe Supreme Court will hear a case that聽could hand more power to state legislatures and block state courts from reviewing challenges to election procedures and results. The case,聽brought forward by North Carolina Republicans, could shift the way elections are conducted.
After Supreme Court ruling, can EPA still tackle climate change?A Supreme Court ruling limits Environmental Protection Agency leeway to regulate greenhouse gases, at a time when Congress hasn鈥檛 been acting on the issue.
First LookSupreme Court votes to remove Trump immigration policySupreme Court overturns former President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥渞emain in Mexico鈥� immigration policy. Joining the majority opinion was聽 Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by Mr. Trump, as well as liberal justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.
First LookSupreme Court ruling: A blow to EPA fight against climate changeBy a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.聽The ruling聽limits the EPA to plant-by-plant regulation and could compromise the fight against climate change.
First LookSupreme Court expands Oklahoma鈥檚 jurisdiction on tribal landsOn Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed on tribal land when the victim is Native American.聽The 5-4 decision cut back on the high court鈥檚 ruling from 2020 that said a large portion of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation.
First LookMaxwell sentenced: Two decades of prison, and a life of regretGhislaine Maxwell, socialite parter of Jeffrey Epstein, has been sentenced to 20 years for her role in Mr. Epstein鈥檚 sex trafficking ring. Nearly three years after Mr. Epstein鈥檚 death, Ms. Maxwell says meeting him has been her 鈥済reatest regret.鈥�
