Amid growing debate over the use of the death penalty in the United States, Virginia has decided to abolish its use, joining 22 other states that never have or no longer execute convicted felons. This month, the Democrat-controlled state Senate and state House of Delegates…
Even as crime rates decreased and the numbers of people in jail went down, the costs of jails maintained by local governments increased, going over $25 billion in the latest available data, according to a recent report from The Pew Charitable Trusts. More recently, though,…
Video surveillance of the public on our streets, in our places of work, in stores and even from our front doors is becoming ubiquitous, and in the views of some, dangerous. The perceived threat to Constitutionally protected privacy rights are the focus of a growing…
The massive Russian hack of government systems is having an effect on federal courts, where some are worried that steps taken in response may compromise public access to court proceedings, according to the Associated Press. Security experts have been warning that U.S. courts are vulnerable…
While people across the country struggled to pay their bills and lined up at food banks to feed their families, authorities say, some crooks struck it rich and took advantage of federal aid funds to buy luxury items and pay personal expenses. A COVID-19 relief…
Social media platforms work to remove offensive and criminal posts and photographs from their sites for obvious reasons. But in the process, these platforms are hindering the work of investigators seeking to prosecute war criminals, pedophile rings and other crimes against humanity, according to a…
The recent ruling by District Judge Peter Cahill to hold a separate trial for Derek Chauvin, the ranking Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, may make a subsequent trial more favorable for the other three officers involved. The move, a reversal from an…
The insurrection attempt by a mob on the nation’s capitol may be part of a larger trend of increasing incidents of right-wing domestic terrorism. “I think it’s not a one-off,” said William C. Banks, law professor at Syracuse University College of Law. “We’re in a…
Most Americans were astonished Jan. 6 as they watched a band of Trump supporters rush the Capitol, loot offices, threaten civilians and trash Congressional offices. This occurred shortly after President Donald Trump urged some of his most rabid supporters to fight harder against what he…
Incoming President Joe Biden has said he will seek police reforms, end capital punishment in America and eliminate money bail. As with any president, some things he can do, but in other cases he is limited by the powers of his office. For example, he…