All Law & Courts
First LookJury convicts three of hate crimes in Arbery murderA federal jury in Brunswick, Georgia, found all three defendants guilty of hate crimes Tuesday morning in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black jogger. The three white men were previously convicted for Mr. Arbery's murder in a Georgia state court.聽
First LookUS women鈥檚 soccer team reaches $24M deal in push for equal payThe U.S. women鈥檚 soccer team has been winning on the field for years. On Tuesday, they scored big at the negotiating table. After a six-year legal battle for equal pay, players on the national team reached a $24 million settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
First Look'Say his name': Cop who killed Daunte Wright sentenced to 2 yearsFormer suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in 2021, was sentenced to two years in prison Friday. Ms. Potter alleges she mistook her gun for her Taser when Mr. Wright tried to flee the scene.
First LookIn landmark deal, Sandy Hook families reach $73M settlementOn Tuesday, families of nine victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting reached a $73 million settlement with Remington, the company that made the rifle the shooter used. The families say they brought the lawsuit to hold gun manufacturers accountable.聽
First LookCalifornia moves to 鈥榬epurpose鈥� the nation鈥檚 largest death rowCalifornia is planning to dismantle its death row, the nation鈥檚 largest, by moving all condemned inmates to other prisons within two years and aiming to turn the section into a 鈥減ositive, healing environment.鈥�
First LookBehind Biden's high court pledge: Black women's growing powerIn the wake of Justice Stephen Breyer鈥檚 retirement announcement, President Joe Biden reiterated a campaign pledge to nominate a Black woman. The promise illustrates how much Democrats rely on Black women, and their increasing power in government.
Minority report: How justices from Harlan to Breyer shaped legal opinionFrom great dissenters to bridge builders, members in the minority on the U.S. Supreme Court have found ways to shape the country鈥檚 jurisprudence.
First LookBattle weary Dems perk up with opportunity to fill high court seatDemocrats embraced Wednesday鈥檚 news of liberal Justice Stephen Breyer鈥檚 coming retirement. Frustrated by a series of legislative defeats, many Democrats聽see the opportunity to appoint a liberal judge as way to renew voter support for the party.
First LookJustice Breyer, a pragmatic bridge builder, set to retireSupreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring after almost three decades on the bench. After Justice Breyer steps down, a move expected to occur this summer, many expect President Joe Biden will聽nominate the first Black woman to the high court.聽
鈥楻ecord speed and focus鈥�: Biden鈥檚 judicial picks diversify benchAmong President Joe Biden鈥檚 most impressive achievements in his first year in office: the number and diversity of federal judges聽who聽have been confirmed.
The ExplainerThe Supreme Court and vaccine mandates: Three questionsThe Supreme Court Thursday blocked the Biden administration鈥檚 vaccine mandate for large employers. What happens now?
First LookSupreme Court: US businesses not required to vaccinate or testThe court has concluded that the Biden administration overstepped its authority with a vaccine-or-test rule for U.S. businesses with at least 100 employees. The court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for health care workers.
A step toward better justice: Prying open the 鈥榖lack box鈥� of plea dealsEfforts are underway to remove plea bargaining from the shadows, in hopes that more transparency will lead to changes that make the process more just.
Is murder upswing starting to abate? Some US cities see declines.Although U.S. homicides rose again in 2021, the rate of increase slowed, and some cities saw outright declines.聽These two charts show聽the trends.
First LookThe men who killed Ahmaud Arbery receive maximum sentenceOn Friday, a Georgia judge sentenced the three men who chased down and killed Ahmaud Arbery to life in prison for murder, with only one of the men receiving the possibility of parole.聽
First LookSupreme Court to weigh legality of Biden鈥檚 vaccine mandatesOn Friday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over the Biden administration鈥檚 vaccine-or-testing requirement for large employers and vaccine mandate for health care workers. A decision will follow in the coming days or weeks.
First LookFBI informant describes life undercover with the KKK in FloridaFor nearly a decade, a U.S. Army veteran donned a white robe and hood as a hit man for the Ku Klux Klan in North Florida. He found聽 law enforcement officers working with the KKK.聽
First LookHarvard nanoscientist found guilty of hiding money from ChinaIn a rare victory for the U.S. Justice Department's effort to curb China espionage, Harvard professor Charles Lieber was found guilty of filing false tax returns and failing to report a foreign bank account in China.
FocusOriginalism moves from theory to high court. What that means for US.Can looking back help America move forward, judicially? That鈥檚 the question facing originalism, a legal theory now in the majority at the Supreme Court.
First Look'Guilty, your honor': Chauvin admits to violating Floyd's civil rightsDerek Chauvin pleaded guilty on Wednesday to violating George Floyd鈥檚 civil rights when he killed the man by kneeling on his neck during an arrest.聽Three other former officers, indicted alongside Mr. Chauvin, are scheduled for trial early next year.
