All Law & Courts
The Explainer鈥楶acking the court鈥� and partisan politics: Three questionsCalls for 鈥減acking the court鈥� are seen by some Democrats as a way to remove politics from the Supreme Court. But scholars warn that could backfire.
FocusWith Amy Coney Barrett, a once-fringe legal philosophy goes mainstreamIf Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed, law in the U.S. could shift substantially toward favoring religious liberty over all other rights.
Police reforms surge after months of racial justice protestsFrom chokehold bans to an end of 鈥渜ualified immunity,鈥� cities, counties, and states have answered demands for police reform with uncommon speed.
FocusLouisville and beyond: Calls for reform on 鈥榥o-knock鈥� police raidsPolice conduct as many as 40,000 鈥渘o-knock鈥� raids a year. The Breonna Taylor case shows how the wrenching result can be two sides using force legally.
Are Amy Coney Barrett鈥檚 religious views fair game?Some say asking about how religion shapes聽Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett鈥檚 outlook isn鈥檛 necessarily discriminatory 鈥� and is, in fact, vital.
First LookFederal judge gives census count another monthA California federal judge ruled that the census could continue its count through October, extending its most recent September deadline. The judge said this month's tight deadline would affect the distribution of federal funding and political representation.
Supreme Court: Would Trump pick inevitably mean a sharp right turn?With consolidated conservative majority, the slow chisel of legal change could accelerate on federal regulation and abortion and gun rights.
First LookKentucky officer indicted for role in Breonna Taylor raidAfter months of protests over the killing of Breonna Taylor in a botched Louisville police raid, one of the officers has been indicted on charges of 鈥渨anton endangerment.鈥� Ms. Taylor鈥檚 shooting has been part of a broader reckoning over policing and racial injustice.听
First LookThousands to pay respects to Justice Ginsburg at Supreme CourtThe court's remaining eight justices have gathered for the first time since March to honor their late colleague Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg will also lie in state at the Capitol, the first woman and only the second Supreme Court justice to do so.
Armed protesters in America create stress test for policeWhat happens when First Amendment free speech rights are mixed together with Second Amendment gun rights guarantees in the same space?
FocusRuth Bader Ginsburg: Fierce women鈥檚 advocate, and icon in her own rightSupreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, was a fierce advocate for the equal treatment of women in every aspect of life.
First LookCity of Louisville to pay $12 million to Breonna Taylor's familyBreonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, filed a lawsuit against the city after her daughter was killed in a botched police raid in March. Police reforms will also be instituted as part of the settlement.
First LookCourt deals blow to humanitarian immigration programU.S. immigrants from four countries with Temporary Protected Status may face deportation following a court decision to allow the Trump administration to end the policy. TPS has been granted and extended since 1990 under Republican and Democratic administrations.
First LookOfficers charged in George Floyd's death seek individual trialsFour former Minneapolis police officers who were charged in the death of George Floyd are requesting to be tried separately. But prosecutors say all four should be tried together as they acted in concert.
First LookKenosha rally: Calls for police reform and to get out the voteAt a peaceful march and rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Saturday, speakers called for people to vote for change in November, and to push for police reform.
America the fearful: What follows summer of unrest?Fear may be an equal opportunity emotion, affecting both sides of a conflict. But does it affect both sides in equal measure?
Police taught a simple rule: 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 shoot a perp in his back鈥�For police, shooting someone in the back violates an ethical principle of engagement. A noted exception: if the fleeing person poses a serious threat.
How do you 鈥榙efund the police鈥� in Texas? Very carefully.Some cities in Texas are starting to redirect spending from police departments to other agencies over opposition from Gov. Greg Abbott.听
Cover StoryFrom life in prison to out on parole: One group easing the transitionIn a pioneering California program, former prisoners help newly released offenders cope on the outside.
First LookSeattle's first Black police chief resigns over budget cutsPolice Chief Carmen Best had loyal supporters throughout Seattle, but announced her retirement after the City Council voted to cut the department's budget and staff.听Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County decried the cuts as "performative."
