All Law & Courts
More than a third of all US ex-cons who can鈥檛 vote live in Florida. Why?A judge found that the vote restoration process in Florida used arbitrary means to decide who is worthy. The state has until Feb. 12 to come up with remedies to the constitutional violations.
First LookCalifornia cities drop thousands of marijuana convictionsSan Francisco's District Attorney explained Thursday that the city will erase or reduce scores of marijuana-related convictions now that the drug is legal in California. Activists herald the move as a step toward redressing racial inequities in the war on drugs.聽
First LookDrug court gave lifeline to former addict turned counselorChelsea Carter's journey from addict to counselor began in a West Virginia drug court, an alternative to prison that proponents say offers a less聽costly and more effective way of dealing with offenders.
First LookArtificial intelligence plays budding role in courtroom bail decisionsComputer algorithms are聽now helping decide the near-term future for defendants in city and state courtrooms around the country. Cash bail has come under fire for exacerbating racial disparities and some see computer algorithms as the solution.
First LookJudge brings together key actors to tackle opioid epidemicLawyers for governments across the United States, pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and others will convene to discuss possible solutions and settlements related to the national opioid addiction crisis.
First LookNassar case raises questions about reporting process for victims of abuseSurvivors and lawmakers are determined to hold those who enabled Larry Nassar to abuse young female athletes accountable.聽Some are likening Michigan State University to Penn State University, where officials failed to report allegations involving coach Jerry Sandusky.聽
Without threat of prison, Oklahoma wonders how to encourage drug treatmentOklahoma recently reclassified drug possession and minor thefts to misdemeanors. For meth addicts who commit nonviolent crimes, treatment is a cheaper option than prison, say observers. But some are concerned that the lighter touch will reduce participation in substance-abuse programs.
First Look'Sister survivor warriors' come together as one to testify against sports doctorMore than 120 gymnasts have come forward to accuse former sports doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault. Mr. Nassar currently faces 60 years in prison for child pornography crimes.聽
First LookPennsylvania court rules congressional map unconstitutionalPennsylvania's Supreme Court threw out the state's congressional map, determining it to be gerrymandered to benefit Republicans. The decision has immediate implications for the 2018 election and GOP control of Congress.
The ExplainerRussia investigation: An eventful week, and what happens nextNew details emerged this week in the broadening investigation into alleged efforts by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
FocusBattle over legal marijuana: a monumental moment for states鈥� rightsThe Department of Justice's crackdown comes as 64 percent of Americans, including for the first time more than half of Republicans, support legalization, Gallup found this month. So far, 29 states have legalized the medical use of the drug, while eight have legalized recreational use.
Cliven Bundy case: How big a problem is prosecutorial misconduct?Beyond high-profile examples, such as the dismissal 'with prejudice' this week of the Bundy case, the question of how often prosecutorial misconduct occurs now is open to debate 鈥� with a former state attorney calling it a 鈥渞are event鈥� and a former federal judge calling it an 鈥渆pidemic.鈥�
First LookJudges strike down North Carolina GOP-drawn voting mapFederal judges determined that North Carolina's congressional district map gave the Republican Party an advantage for most seats and ordered the map to be redrawn immediately.聽
First LookSupreme Court ends legal challenge to Mississippi's anti-LGBT lawMississippi's Republican-backed anti-LGBT law has been allowed to stand, proving to be a major setback for gay rights, activists say. The law enables business and government employees to refuse service to members of the LGBT community based on religious beliefs.
First LookUS Attorney General rescinds policy that let legal pot blossomAttorney General Jeff Sessions rescinds the 2013 policy that allowed states across the nation to legalize marijuana. He will聽let federal prosecutors decide how aggressively to enforce federal marijuana law in states where pot is legal.聽
Why New York crime has plunged to record lowsWith a murder rate of 3.4 per 100,000 in 2017, the city of 8.5 million had crime levels comparable to sparsely populated states such as Montana and Wyoming.
First LookThree years of quiet for once-busy Oklahoma death chamberOklahoma will enter its third year without an execution in 2018 while prison officials and state attorneys work to fine tune its procedure for putting condemned inmates to death.
First LookGovernment lawyers challenge partial lift on refugee banDepartment of Justice lawyers have asked Judge James Robart聽to change his recent injunction聽that partially lifted a ban on refugees from 11 mostly Muslim countries.
How Texas鈥� Harris County went from 鈥榗apital of capital punishment鈥� to zero executionsIn 2017, for the first time in more than 40 years, no one from the county was executed. No one has been sentenced to death there since 2014.
First LookThree cities sue Pentagon for failure to share gun background infoNew York City, San Francisco, and Philadelphia said that聽many US service members, who are disqualified from gun ownership, weren't reported to the national background check system. The聽U.S. Army didn't submit records in about 41 percent of cases.
