New York City has agreed to a settlement in the long-running legal battle over abuses at Rikers Island, the country’s second-largest jail system, federal and city officials said on Monday. The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to a host of far-reaching reforms in the deal, including the appointment of a federal monitor, an […]
READ MOREAbortion Laws in New York State
Mets vs. Yankees. Subway vs. Bus. Upper East Side vs. Queens. Pro-life vs. Pro-choice. The number of topics that can start an argument in New York City is unlimited. Possibly none as much as the subject of abortion. Despite New York abortion laws being less restrictive than many states, the state does have some abortion […]
READ MORELack of Diversity in the US Legal System
According to Montgomery Tabron, the head of WK Kellogg Foundation, one of the country’s largest philanthropies, the law enforcement and justice system in the US is broken. While criticism is rampant about the fact that the nation’s police force comprises mainly of white individuals, the reality is that the legal profession is even whiter. Prosecutors […]
READ MORECA Supremes Grant Review in Warrant Affidavit Case People v. Galland
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday (4/18/07) granted review in People v. Galland, the Fourth District Court of Appeal case whose language was so sharp that it drew coverage from the LA Times. Galland deals with a pet obsession of mine: sealed search warrant affidavits. In general, under California law, the prosecution can seal part […]
READ MOREDeath Penalty Faces Biggest Test in Decades
Death penalty in the US is currently facing one of its biggest tests in decades. While capital punishment is legal in 36 nations including China, Japan and the US and it is legal in the 32 American states, three death row inmates in Oklahoma are now challenging new experimental drugs that are used in lethal […]
READ MOREJudges Allows Entertainment Videos to be Used as Evidence in Trial
A federal racketeering case is currently proceeding in Brooklyn against an alleged drug gang and the U.S. District Attorney prosecuting the case asked the judge to admit mafia tattoos into evidence, as well as to admit YouTube music videos that were made by the alleged gang leader. The Brooklyn judge ruled that the videos were […]
READ MORETroubling Trends in Overcharging for Criminal Offenses
The United States criminal justice system is supposed to have myriad safeguards protecting criminal defendants. The safeguards in the U.S. Constitution, including guarantees of due process, have been broadly applied. Defendants are not only entitled to a fair trial, but are also protected from ex post facto laws, which are laws that are passed to […]
READ MORESharks, Remoras and Arizona v. Johnson: Supreme Court Further Cuts Fourth Amendment Protections in Case With Implications for Drug and Gang Policing
It is reasonable for an officer to “pat frisk” a person in the context of a traffic stop if the officer believes that person is “armed and dangerous,” the United States Supreme Court held today in Arizona v. Johnson. This might seem to be a pretty common sense opinion. Surely, if we care about the […]
READ MOREArizona v. Johnson: SCOTUS To Roll Back 4th Amendment Protections?
A non-drug law case with important implications for Fourth Amendment restraints on drug law policing, Arizona v. Johnson, is being heard in the United States Supreme Court today. The case is about whether police may “pat frisk” people for weapons in the context of a traffic stop when they think they might be gang members […]
READ MOREJustice Department Legalizes Pot for Indian Tribes
In a memo released this week, the Department of Justice has outlined new policies that allow American Indian tribes to grow and sell marijuana on reservation lands. Under the new policies, four Western US states will be allowed to grow and sell recreational marijuana. While possession of marijuana is a federal crime in the US, […]
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