All Law & Courts
Ariel Castro death: How common is suicide among prison inmates?Inmates in state prisons are less likely to commit suicide than are those held in local jails. Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro was not under a suicide watch when he hanged himself in an Ohio prison, and apparently had not had an independent psychological examination.
Pledge of Allegiance: 'under God' under threat in MassachusettsA new lawsuit seeks to have the phrase 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance declared discriminatory under the state's Equal Rights Amendment. If successful, the effort could spread to other states.
Is foulmouthed, suspended police chief undermining his own gun cause?Small-town Police Chief Mark Kessler may yet lose his job after his video rant in defense of the Second Amendment. While hundreds of sheriffs are vowing to resist any US attempts to enforce new gun laws, not all like Kessler's tactics.
Colorado marijuana law: Obama administration backs offColorado marijuana law: Until now, federal government drug policies were at odds with state laws decriminalizing marijuana. Now, the Obama administration says it's letting states regulate legalized marijuana use.
Fort Hood shooter silent as jury sentences him to deathA military court ruled unanimously that Army Maj. Nidal Hasan should receive the death penalty for an attack that killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
NYPD labeled mosques as terrorist organizations, report saysNew revelations about the NYPD's aggressive antiterror practices suggest that mosques and Muslim groups are being probed for terrorist activity, even when there's no evidence of it.
'The Donald' suggests Obama was in on lawsuit against Trump UniversityDonald Trump on Monday implied that President Obama may have helped plan a lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general. According to the suit, Mr. Trump's for-profit enterprise defrauded consumers.- Online charter school CEO indicted for misused funds. Do laws need tightening?Nicholas Trombetta, former CEO of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, has been charged with diverting more than $8 million of taxpayer money away from the school for a condo, airplane, and other expenses.
Chris Lane murder: Is a racist dimension of the crime being discounted?The shooting of college student Chris Lane in Oklahoma is stirring a debate over what constitutes a hate crime. Racist tweets, allegedly from social media accounts of a black suspect, prompt some to ask if race was a motive in the murder.
Nidal Hasan guilty in Fort Hood massacre. Next question: life, or death?Army Maj. Nidal Hasan was convicted Friday of all charges stemming from 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 and wounded 30. Hasan has said he wants a martyr's death. Starting Monday, jurors will begin considering that option.
FocusBradley Manning and leaks to news media: Is US pursuit too hot?Bradley Manning's mass disclosures to WikiLeaks 'triggered an intense reaction' inside the Obama administration to squelch future leaks to journalists 鈥� and to hunt down leakers, experts say. That reaction, in turn, is stirring debate about the right balance between secrecy and transparency.
Fort Hood trial: Nidal Hasan rests his defense with no witnesses, no testimonyThe court-martial for Maj. Nidal Hasan, accused of killing 13 fellow soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009, is now headed for closing arguments, the eventual verdict, and, if he鈥檚 found guilty, sentencing.
WikiLeaks case: Bradley Manning gets 35 years for leaking classified filesThe 35-year sentence given Pfc. Bradley Manning 鈥� he could be out in 10 years 鈥� for the largest leak of classified information in US history聽reflects the complexity of the case, including harm to national security and how the Army dealt with his problems.
9/11 defendant leaves Guant谩namo hearing, citing 'psychological torture'Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, one of five 9/11 defendants at the military commission trial at Guant谩namo, told the judge that problems with the food amounted to torture by the military guards.
Guant谩namo: Secret evidence is thorny issue at 9/11 pretrial hearingAt Guant谩namo,聽Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged 9/11 co-conspirators were back in court. Their lawyers complained about not being able to show them 'classified' evidence.
263 arrested in gang sweep targeting MS-13263 arrested in gang sweep: Of the 263 gang members arrested in the nationwide sweep by ICE, 60 percent were MS-13 members.
Judge: Bradley Manning 'had reason to believe' his acts could injure the US (+vldeo)In her final report before sentencing US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the court-martial judge said his聽conduct was 'of a heedless nature that made it actually and imminently dangerous to others.'
Bradley Manning: 'I鈥檓 sorry that my actions hurt the United States'Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, in the sentencing phase of his court martial, apologized for leaking classified items to WikiLeaks. Manning's lawyers put much of the blame on Army officers who failed to address his emotional troubles.- Body cams for N.Y.C. police as a check on 'stop and frisk': a good idea?The judge who found the NYPD's stop and frisk policy to be unconstitutional wants the city to test body cameras on officers, as a possible remedy. Experts see pros and cons. Early data from other police departments are encouraging.
Seeking martyrdom, Nidal Hasan raises little fuss in Fort Hood courtroomMaj. Nidal Hasan, on trial for the 2009 Fort Hood attack that killed 13 soldiers, has acted contrary to many expectations, remaining cool and businesslike as witnesses recount the assault.
