All Law & Courts
How Supreme Court may redefine 'wall of separation' on religionThe clash over differing conceptions of religious liberty and the idea of 鈥榓 wall of separation鈥� was on full display in Monday鈥檚 Trinity Lutheran decision, and more cases are on the docket for next term.
First LookThree Chicago officers accused of covering up teen shootingAppointed special prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes announced accusations against one current and two former police officers suspected of covering up evidence to protect each other and other officers after the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Travel ban, playground case bring a big finish to sleepy Supreme Court termMonday became the most headline-generating day of an otherwise modest term 鈥� with the White House's travel ban largely allowed to take effect and a case with implications for religious liberty.
What Philando Castile verdict says about path of police reformSettlements may be provoking a form of private sector oversight on police departments 鈥� namely through the pressures liability insurers impose on the departments they鈥檙e covering.
First LookFlint public health and safety officials charged in water contamination caseMichigan health official Nick Lyon could face up to 15 years in prison for 'failing to alert the public' about lead contamination of the Flint water supply.聽
Are the courts treating Trump differently than other presidents?The 9th Circuit handed down the Trump administration's latest legal defeat Monday, ruling unanimously to maintain a block on the revised travel ban. Is President Trump being denied the 'presumption of regularity' extended to other presidents?
First LookUtah anti-cyberbullying law faces criticismThe law would allow online bullies to be sent to jail for a year, but vague language in the law has led many to raise concerns about the implications of the legislation.
First LookFollowing loss in appeals court, travel ban faces final challenge in Supreme CourtIt could be several months until the high court hears arguments in the case but the聽justices almost always have the final say when a lower court strikes down a federal law or presidential action.
First LookNorth Carolina racial gerrymandering ruling may create strong precedents for similar casesThe ruling found that two re-drawn congressional districts in the state relied on race rather than political makeup.
Does US need a new crime crackdown? Prosecutors see generational divide.Attorney General Jeff Sessions is among those who say tough sentencing brought down crime before, and can do so again. For a younger generation, what's more visible is the human toll of mandatory minimum sentences on small-time violators.
First LookWhy a Georgia prisoner wants to be executed by firing squad, not lethal injectionThe death row inmate is the latest to raise concerns about botched lethal injections.聽
Travel ban: Is a nationwide injunction on behalf of one person overkill?Some experts, including judges, believe nationwide injunctions 鈥� like the one blocking the White House's revised travel ban 鈥� circumvent the fundamental deliberative role of the American judiciary.
Why Texas ban on 'sanctuary cities' divides local law enforcementTexas's controversial new law raises important questions about whether enforcing a federal law should always trump enforcement of local laws, and whether local officers ultimately will take their orders from their chief 鈥� or the president.
First LookUS Attorney General directs prosecutors to go for harsher punishmentsThe new policy reverses the Obama-era stance, which was aimed at reducing prison populations.
First LookUS appeals court hears arguments on revised version of travel banAt issue is the question of whether the ban was motivated by national security. Many experts point to President Trump's campaign rhetoric about a 'Muslim ban' as evidence a religious basis for the order, which would be unconstitutional.
Are government leakers bringing about the end of secrets?In an age of Wikileaks, Hal Martin, and Shadow Brokers, is the US overclassifying documents it cannot protect?
Does Walter Scott plea deal offer a path forward for justice in police killings?Former officer Michael Slager's guilty plea comes at a time of critical exploration of the line between cultural and legal deference to police, and a growing imperative for officers to respect the lives of citizens.
First LookBoston sees slow progress on race in police stopsAn Associated Press review found a vast majority of police-civilian encounters from 2015 to 2016 involved persons of color, even as Boston enlists the help of independent researchers.聽
First LookHow does Trump plan to stop illegal immigration? A Texas court offers a model approachThe west Texas court is billed as the toughest immigration court in the land, but could its strategy work on a national level?聽
Witnesses to execution test a 'somber' civic dutyArkansas requires six 'respectable' citizens to witness executions 鈥� a task it struggled to find volunteers for as it executes its first prisoners since 2005. At the same time, states have become increasingly secretive about the mechanics of capital punishment.
