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America’s prison system is turning into a de facto nursing home
In late 2018, Richard Washington sent a memo to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with the subject line “Notice I am being killed.” The 64-year-old man, who decades earlier was convicted on armed robbery charges, was serving a 63-year prison sentence in Arizona. In his letter, he alleged that the Department of Corrections […]
People can’t be detained just for trying to avoid police, California Supreme Court says
Police officers cannot detain someone on the street just because that person tries to avoid contact with them, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision has immediate implications for police officers working all across the state, restricting the grounds under which they can stop and hold people for questioning. It could also affect other […]
Expanded So-called ‘don’t Say Gay’ Education Restrictions Advance in Alabama
A bill aimed at furthering education restrictions on discussions of “gender identity or sexual orientation” in public schools is progressing in the Alabama legislature, passing the state House on Tuesday. Alabama’s current law already places limitations on discussions surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms for kindergarten through fifth grade, emphasizing age and development […]
THE TRIAL TAX IN AMERICA
Is it possible to violate the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial by giving people a longer sentence when convicted after trial than they would have received from a guilty plea? This dynamic is referred to as the “trial tax” or “trial penalty” in America. Many argue that the trial tax is unconstitutional. But let’s assume […]
More States Are Allowing Child Support Payments to Reach Children
It is one of the enduring myths of the U.S. child support system: that payments made by fathers actually make it to their families. And yet, every year, hundreds of millions of dollars in child support is instead intercepted by federal and state governments — as reimbursement for the mother having received welfare at some […]
Federal Agency Finalizes Rule For Disability Protections In Historic Move
The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday finalized a rule to bolster disability protections outlined in federal law and address issues that disabled people have faced for decades, even after the protections were originally established. The rule updates Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act . The federal legislation, passed in 1973 and championed by disability rights activists, […]
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer’s firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry. Officer Erik Andrade was involved in the 2018 arrest of Sterling Brown, who then played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown alleged that police used […]
Wealthy white Louisiana residents win right to form their own city and split from poorer black neighborhoods in landmark court ruling after a 10-year battle
Wealthy white Baton Rouge residents have won a decade-long court battle to split from poorer neighborhoods and form their own city with plans for better schools and less crime. The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the new City of St George could move forward with incorporation, splitting off from the rest of Baton […]
Parents plead guilty to manslaughter after giving diabetic child Mountain Dew
According to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer citing Clermont County records, 53-year-old Christopher Hoeb – the father of deceased four-year-old Karmity Hoeb – pleaded guilty to the charges Thursday. The child’s mother, 41-year-old Tamara Banks, pleaded guilty to the same charge last month. Prosecutors allege that they fed the girl mostly Mountain Dew through a baby bottle. She […]