All Law & Courts
First LookJustice Thomas found his voice. Will the Supreme Court change?Arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court are usually rough-and-tumble affairs, with lawyers peppered with questions by judges sometimes competing to get a word in. The use of teleconferencing, however, has required a more orderly process.
On the Supreme Court docket: Fairness, textualism, and crack cocaineA crack cocaine dealer鈥檚 case will be heard Tuesday at the Supreme Court. His supporters include prosecutors, judges, lawmakers, and the White House.
First LookTransparency push to release police disciplinary recordsTo prevent cops with bad records from moving to different communities, lawmakers in 20 states are seeking more transparency and accountability.聽
First LookSupreme Court: Should schools regulate teens鈥� speech off-campus?Cyberbullying often happens off-campus, but so do a lot of exchanges that happen online. A new Supreme Court case will examine how much leeway U.S. public schools have in disciplining students鈥� rants on social media 鈥� especially in a time of remote learning.
Cover StoryCSI Houston: How a Texas lab has remade the science of forensicsA crime lab in Texas is restoring public trust in the flawed science of forensics 鈥� and becoming an international model.聽聽
Chauvin convicted: Why this big trial broke from patternSometimes the law and justice are two different things, as several other 鈥渢rials of the century鈥� have shown.
FocusWith trial over, what next for racial justice?For much of the country, it has felt like racism itself was on trial in Minneapolis. What does the verdict say about where America goes from here?
First LookDerek Chauvin found guilty in murder of George FloydFormer Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of all three charges of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, and could face decades in prison.
First LookIndianapolis shooter bought two rifles. Did red flag laws fail?Indianapolis mass shooting suspect Brandon Scott Hole bought two rifles just months after a shotgun was seized by police for mental health reasons.
First LookAs trial wraps, why didn't Derek Chauvin testify?As the trial of Derek Chauvin 鈥� facing murder and manslaughter charges for George Floyd鈥檚 death 鈥� comes to an end, the jury will have to try to reach a verdict. But they won鈥檛 have testimony from Mr. Chauvin himself.
FocusNo badges. No guns. Can violence interrupters help Minneapolis?Is violence something that can be cured? A new Minneapolis program sends out unarmed residents, rather than police, to de-escalate situations.
The ExplainerAre vaccine passports legal in the US? Five questions.Vaccine passports have become the latest question to divide the U.S., raising charged legal and ethical questions.
First LookThree questions Derek Chauvin's trial seeks to answerThe trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd opened this week in Minneapolis. Jurors are tasked with sorting through testimonies and evidence to answer why and how an encounter with police escalated.
FocusChauvin trial: Why Minneapolis activists are looking beyond the verdictGeorge Floyd鈥檚 death changed the conversation on police in America, launching the biggest civil rights movement in 50 years.
FocusTo fight pandemic, people gave up liberties. Will they get them back?Worldwide, citizens have given up civil liberties to fight the pandemic. But is it possible to act collectively and maintain individual rights?
First LookCapitol assault: two men charged in death of officer after riotThe Justice Department has arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol officer Brian Sicknick with a chemical spray during the Jan. 6 riot. Mr. Sicknick died Jan. 7 and the chemical spray may have contributed to his death.
First LookA year later, DOJ is still reviewing Breonna Taylor's murderNo officers have been convicted since police fatally shot Breonna Taylor in her home March 13, 2020. Activists聽express 鈥渃autious and guarded hope鈥� about the U.S. Department of Justice鈥檚 methodical investigation into the 鈥渘o-knock鈥� warrant that resulted in her death.聽
As attorney general, Garland vows to tackle domestic extremismMerrick Garland鈥檚 widely praised handling of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation may inform how he will approach the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
First LookAs Floyd case goes to trial, Minneapolis braces for unrestThe killing of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked nationwide protests against racism and police brutality in the U.S. As former police officer Derek Chauvin is set to go on trial for Mr. Floyd's death, tensions are rising in Minneapolis again.
First LookDefund the police? Ohio city backtracks on diverting money.Calls to redirect police funding were a consistent refrain during last summer鈥檚 protests, but it didn鈥檛 always translate into policy changes. A look at why city council members in Columbus, Ohio, decided to go ahead with a new class of police recruits.聽
