All Law & Courts
FocusBehind the 鈥榩aradox of fear鈥�: Crime is down, but many Americans don鈥檛 feel safeSo far, 2017 is on track to have the second-lowest violent crime rate of any year since 1990, according to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice.
The ExplainerWhat does third Trump travel ban mean for Supreme Court case?After the Trump administration issued a third version of its executive order regarding immigration on Sunday, the Supreme Court justices asked the parties involved to file briefs by Oct. 5.
First LookSupreme Court upholds Trump travel banThough the US Supreme Court justices will hear arguments on President Trump's ban on refugees from six majority Muslim countries in October, the court upheld the Trump administration's order to limit the number of refugees allowed into the country.
First LookDreamHost ordered to release Trump protest website dataDreamHost, an internet hosting company, has been ordered to turn over data records on a website used for organizing an anti-Trump protest during the president's inauguration.聽
Free-speech challenge: Can First and Second Amendments be exercised simultaneously?After Charlottesville, the American Civil Liberties Union's decision to no longer defend armed protesters comes amid a quandary for First Amendment guardians.
First LookChicago files federal lawsuit claiming sanctuary cities threat 'unconstitutional'Chicago is the first city to sue the Trump administration over the聽Department of Justice's threat to punish so-called sanctuary cities,聽calling the federal government's attempts to force compliance by threatening to cut off funding 'unauthorized and unconstitutional.'
First LookMore states want review of existing juvenile life sentences after Supreme Court banLawyers representing inmates serving mandatory life for crimes committed as minors say the ban should be taken into consideration during parole review hearings for their clients.
FocusPolicing in Trump era: A tough job isn't getting any easierWhile they are heartened to have a vocal advocate in the White House, eight officers interviewed by the Monitor say they see it as a minor benefit for a profession that is both intensely local and becoming increasingly complex.
Michigan FGM case could test bounds of religious libertyFor the first time, the US is pursuing a case of female genital mutilation. In the case, the courts will weigh a religious minority's rights against the federal government鈥檚 interest in protecting children.
Why split with Sessions may pit Trump agenda against Trump himselfAs the first Republican senator to endorse Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is seen as the standard-bearer of the kind of conservative nationalism that carried the billionaire to the White House.
First LookUS investigators search to shut down channels that led to human smuggling tragedy in TexasA truck driver responsible for the death of 10 illegal immigrants is part of a major immigrant smuggling operation, US officials say.聽
Why there's a growing rift in GOP over law and orderThe attorney general's decision this week to expand a controversial program that allows police to seize people's assets without charging them with a crime runs into conservative principles about property and states' rights.
First LookHuman rights group petitions on behalf of Hawaii's fishermenAn investigation revealed聽hundreds of men from impoverished Southeast Asian and Pacific nations working as fishermen聽are exempt from basic labor protections due to a federal loophole. Many may make as little as 70 cents an hour.
How cities are helping former felons get stable housingProvidence, R.I., and New Orleans have begun to rethink 'one strike' rules that have prevented ex-offenders from getting into public housing.
South Carolina debuts a new model for bridging racial dividesThe聽South Carolina Collaborative for Race and Reconciliation, based at the University of South Carolina, will launch 'welcome tables' around the state this fall.
Cover StoryMeet a new breed of prosecutorFrom Texas to Florida to Illinois, many of these young prosecutors are eschewing the death penalty, talking rehabilitation as much as punishment, and often refusing to charge people for minor offenses.聽While their numbers are small, they are taking over DA offices at a crucial moment.
One test case for voter fraud vs. suppression: Sparta, Ga.Georgia has become a major test case for a nation seeking to balance fraud concerns against the constitutional right to vote.
First LookNew opioid court uses rigorous intervention methods to address epidemicThe nation's first opioid crisis intervention court in Buffalo, N.Y., gets users into treatment faster in efforts to simply keep defendants alive. The program could provide a model for other cities searching for solutions to rampant drug addictions.
Justice Gorsuch's running start: What that may mean for Supreme CourtThe seven separate opinions Justice Neil Gorsuch has written so far equals the number that Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her first two terms.
How Russia and others use cybercriminals as proxiesUS adversaries are offering cyber criminals a bargain: Use your talents for spy agencies, in exchange for legal immunity. One such cybercriminal was involved in the 2016 US election interference.
