All Law & Courts
Amid spike in crime, a question of who owns the streetsSeveral cities have seen a spike in violent crime. Coronavirus lockdowns, new policing measures, and tumult within PDs could all be factors.
First LookFirst US federal execution held in 17 years. Here's why.Daniel Lewis Lee, who claimed innocence in his last moments, was the first person to be federally executed in 17 years.聽Executions on the federal level are rare, and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988.
First LookOregon releases police misconduct records, others to follow suitOregon made public the names of officers whose certification has been revoked or suspended, the first state to take this step toward transparency since the death of George Floyd. Several other states are signing into law their own public registries.
鈥楲aw School 101鈥�: How Supreme Court ended its termSupreme Court justices emphasized the importance of the rule of law and the fact that presidents are subject to it, in two big end of term cases.
Religious liberty鈥檚 big week at the Supreme CourtSupreme Court ruled in favor of religious liberty in three cases, prioritizing the rights of 海角大神s over the rights of women and LGBTQ citizens.
A police chief鈥檚 message to community: Help us 鈥榙o a better job鈥�Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, the first Black woman to lead the department, reflects on the city鈥檚 CHOP protest and activists鈥� calls for change.
Focus鈥榃e need to keep speaking out鈥�: Racial justice in rural AmericaA groundswell of support for Black Lives Matter has swept across small towns, an eruption of activism not seen since the civil rights era.
First LookHalf of Oklahoma ruled reservation land by Supreme CourtHalf of Oklahoma is Native American reservation land, the Supreme Court decided in a ruling Thursday. Tribe members living in the territory will be subject to federal 鈥� instead of state 鈥� criminal law, and will be exempt from certain state obligations.
First LookSupreme Court: Trump tax records open for DA, not Congress 鈥� yetRejecting arguments that the president is immune from investigation, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Manhattan district attorney access to President Trump's tax returns, but blocked Congress from accessing his financial records.
First LookSupreme Court: religious schools can discriminate when hiringThe Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to protect religious schools against employment discrimination lawsuits, citing the schools' constitutionally guaranteed religious independence.聽
First LookSupreme Court OKs exemptions to Obama-era birth control policyThe U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of allowing certain employers to opt out of providing no-cost contraceptive. The ruling is a victory for the Trump administration, but critics say it could leave tens of thousands of women without access to affordable birth control.
First LookDakota Access pipeline halted pending environmental reviewA judge ordered the Dakota Access pipeline, the target of major protests in 2016 and 2017, to stop operations for environmental review. The move is a win for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose reservation sits just south of the pipeline.
First LookJustices rule states can back popular presidential voteWith less than four months before the 2020 election, the Supreme Court ruled states can require electors to back the state's popular vote winner in the Electoral College. A state's electors "have no ground for reversing the vote of millions of its citizens," Justice Elena Kagan wrote.
How George Floyd鈥檚 death united Africans and African-AmericansAfrican immigrants have not always felt at home in African-American communities. Black Lives Matter protests may be changing that.
Principle over politics? Why Chief Justice Roberts upheld abortion rights.Chief Justice Roberts鈥� opinion on abortion adds to a throughline in his jurisprudence indicating conservative goals have to meet base legal standards.
First LookSupreme Court rules public funds can go toward religious schoolsIn a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court decided that if聽a state chooses to subsidize private education, it cannot differentiate between religious and secular schools. Tuesday's decision is the latest of several rulings to validate claims of religion-based discrimination.聽
First LookSupreme Court rules on executive power, abortion rightsOn Monday, in the first big abortion case of the Trump era, the court struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics. The court also ruled on the president's executive powers.聽
The ExplainerWhy are bad cops so hard to bring to justice? Three questions.After the killing of George Floyd, the 鈥渜ualified immunity鈥� doctrine and the shield it gives police accused of excessive force has been under scrutiny.
First Look#Justice4Elijah: In Colorado, a new BLM rallying cry emergesColorado is reopening its investigation into the death of Elijah McClain in police custody nearly a year ago. The chokehold used on Mr. McClain has been banned in several cities following George Floyd's death, and his story is finding new momentum online.
First LookTrump applauds court's decision to drop Michael Flynn caseIn a 2-1 decision, a D.C. circuit court of appeals ruled to drop the case against Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The court's decision comes as Democrats on Capitol Hill question whether the Justice Department has become too politicized.
