All Law & Courts
First LookWhat $380M settlement in sex abuse scandal means for US gymnastsA $380 million settlement between USA Gymnastics and聽the victims of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar was reached Monday.听The agreement includes provisions intended to protect current and future gymnasts from abuse.
First Look'I had fun lol': How social media is shaping Jan. 6 riot sentencesDoes what goes on Facebook really matter? Almost a year after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, prosecutors are heavily weighing protestors鈥� online posts.听In at least 28 federal crime sentences so far, prosecutors have requested stricter rulings based on social media posts.
First LookCalifornia governor models Texas abortion law to ban gun salesDrawing on a Texas law to ban abortions, California Gov. Newsom wants to empower private citizens to enforce a ban on the sale of assault weapons.
Smash-and-grabs, California, and the limits of criminal justice reformSmash-and-grabs across the country are raising questions about criminal justice reforms, and how best to combat modern-day organized crime.听
First LookSupreme Court says clinics can challenge Texas abortion lawThe Supreme Court ruled that abortion clinics can proceed with lawsuits against a Texas law making abortions after six weeks illegal. But it left S.B.8 in effect in the meantime.
First LookEmmett Till's case closes again with calls for justice unansweredThe U.S. Justice Department announced Monday it will close an investigation, reopened in 2017, into the death of Emmett Till, who was tortured and killed after a white woman accused him of sexual advances in 1955. No one has been found guilty of his murder.
First LookThree questions: How often are parents charged in school shootings?Parents are rarely charged for school shootings. Why are prosecutors building a case against Ethan Crumbley's parents after four students were fatally shot in Michigan.
First LookIt鈥檚 likely Mississippi鈥檚 abortion law will stand. What鈥檚 next?After oral arguments Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 conservative majority appeared likely to uphold Mississippi鈥檚 ban on abortions after 15 weeks, and may overturn Roe v. Wade entirely.
First LookCalifornia law says corporate boards need women. Is that legal?A California trial court will hear a case on Wednesday to decide if the state can legally require publicly traded companies to have women on their boards. The law has been in effect for three years, but opponents say a gender-based quota is unconstitutional.
FocusWhy abortion fight isn鈥檛 over if Roe is overturnedFor the first time in decades, the federal right to abortion faces an existential threat. State constitutions could then become the new battlegrounds.
First Look鈥楢 long fight鈥�: Three men convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arbery trialAfter 10 hours of deliberation, all three men charged in the the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder. These men face minimum sentences of life in prison, with the possibility of parole yet to be decided.
After Rittenhouse: What an era of armed protest means for AmericaArmed protests and Kyle Rittenhouse鈥檚 successful self-defense claims raise key safety concerns 鈥� with nuances spanning racial lines.
First LookChristmas parade hit-and-run renews questions around bailThe man who killed five people in a Wisconsin Christmas parade was recently released on bail. Some lawmakers underscore the need for higher bail amounts, while legal experts caution one extreme case shouldn鈥檛 keep poorer defendants in jail while they await trial.听
鈥楻efund鈥� the police? With crime high, debate rises in Maryland.The rhetoric about police funding can slip into extremes. But as the state of Maryland shows, there鈥檚 more agreement than polarizing terms suggest.听
First LookNot guilty: Kyle Rittenhouse cleared of homicide chargesThe jury鈥檚 verdict is in: Kyle Rittenhouse has been pronounced not guilty after pleading self-defense in a contentious trial over the men he shot during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer.听
First LookWho killed Malcolm X? Men accused of his 1965 murder cleared.Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam were sentenced to life in prison for the 1965 murder of Malcom X. Fifty-six years later, on Nov. 18, 2021, a Manhattan judge dismissed their convictions, following decades of doubt surrounding their case.
Vigilance or vigilantism? Old laws鈥� legacy in modern US.The Rittenhouse trial, the trial of Ahmaud Arbery鈥檚 killers, and Texas鈥� abortion law all come amid more Americans demonstrating a willingness to police others鈥� behavior.
First Look'Public face' of Jan. 6 riot sentenced to 41 months in prisonJacob Chansley was one of the first rioters inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6.听On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding.听鈥淢y behavior is indefensible,鈥� he said.
First LookBritney Spears' conservatorship ends. What's next for this tool?California Judge Brenda Penny terminated the conservatorship that controlled pop singer Britney Spears' life choices and money聽for nearly 14 years.
Cover StoryWhy Albuquerque鈥檚 latest experiment in policing doesn鈥檛 involve officersAlbuquerque, New Mexico, sends out mental health specialists to deal with nonviolent 911 calls, freeing up police to handle other emergencies.
