A federal appeals court has denied a request to dismiss rulings that determined that New York City police conducted its police stop-and-frisk policy in a discriminatory manner, the Associated Press reports.  On Friday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the five-page order during a scheduled appeal of U.S. Judge…

The family of the alleged victim in a sexual assault case involving Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston released a statement to the media late Friday, saying that she did not consent and “the player committed rape,” the Associated Press reports. “To be clear, the victim did not consent,” the statement reads, according to the AP.…

Chris Brown got a small reprieve from his legal challenges. Washington D.C., Superior Judge Robert Tignor decided Friday to allow the beleaguered R&B singer to waive his scheduled court appearance on Monday, the Associated Press reports. He was scheduled to appear on a misdemeanor assault charge, but his lawyers told the judge that it didn’t make…

A woman who made headlines several years ago after falsely accusing three Duke University lacrosse players of rape was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the stabbing death of her boyfriend, the Associated Press reports. The jury reached its verdict after about six hours of deliberation over two days in the trial of 34-year-old Crystal…

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick apparently has had enough of courtrooms. He prefers to sit out on a Dec. 10 court hearing that will determine just how much he owes Detroit and tax collectors after convictions for corruption and other crimes, the Detroit Free Press reports. He says it can be hashed out by the judge…

Police have arrested a 15-year-old suspect and are searching for a second youth in connection with a “knockout” attack in Northeast Philadelphia earlier this month, CBS Philly reports. Officials say a 15-year-old male has been arrested, and they are searching for a second suspect for their roles in an attack outside a pizza shop on Nov.…

A Detroit-area police officer has confessed to making at least one video showing an African-American man being commanded to sing and make animal noises, the Huffington Post reports. The police officer in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., was reportedly taken off duty and is “expected to face discipline next week,” the Post says, citing Motor City Muckraker,…

Editor’s note: For the past two weeks, The Root and the NAACP have partnered to present a series of reports on gun violence, its causes and potential solutions. To highlight the urgent nature of the problem, The Root is updating cases we have previously reported, including this Chicago story from 2012. A few days from…