Criminal Justice
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America’s Public Defenders’ Offices Are Broken. Here’s How to Fix Them
As a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, I saw our legal system at its best when we pursued justice and stood up for victims of murder, rape, and other serious crimes. It made me feel proud. But I also saw the parts of our criminal justice system that were failing—including overworked and underpaid…
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Mom of Slain Sex Trafficked Teen Cries Out for Justice—and Gets It; Judge Slaps Pimp With 32 Years in Prison
The pimp who tricked out a 16-year-old girl before she was strangled, her throat slashed and her body discarded in a garage, allegedly by a man he set her up with, was sentenced Tuesday to 32 years in prison. The mother of 16-year-old Desiree Robinson, Yvonne Ambrose, testified before Joseph Hazley’s sentencing, compared Hazley to…
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Stacey Abrams Calls on Hollywood to #StayAndFight About Georgia Abortion Rights Instead of Boycotting
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is just as outraged as many about Georgia’s decision to virtually outlaw abortions in the state, but she’s imploring leaders of industry, especially those in the filmmaking community, to stand with her and fight to change things, rather than boycott the state. Abrams, along with a group of political…
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A New Lawsuit Against a Virginia Apartment Complex Shows How Modern Day Redlining Works
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against a Virginia apartment complex Tuesday morning for its policy of banning all housing applications from people with criminal records. Filed in Richmond, Va., the lawsuit accuses Wisely Properties and Multifamily Management Services, Inc., owners and operators of the Sterling Glen apartment complex, of imposing…
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How Much Will It Cost Florida's Formerly Incarcerated to Vote? Try at Least $1 Billion
It’s being called a modern-day poll tax, and for good reason. Last year, Florida voters overwhelmingly chose to restore voting rights to 1.5 million people who have felony convictions (for perspective, that’s about 7 percent of the entire state). At the time, the passage of Amendment 4 was viewed as an important step forward for…
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Medical Examiner Confirms Remains Found in Arkansas Are Those of 4-Year-Old Maleah Davis
Decomposed remains found in Arkansas late last week have been confirmed to be those of 4-year-old Maleah Davis, the Houston child reported missing from Texas in early May by her mother’s then-fiance, who was subsequently arrested in connection to the case. As KTRK ABC 13 reports, police in Fulton, Ark., Friday said a road crew…
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Raymond Santana Supports Boycott of Central Park Five Prosecutor Linda Fairstein: 'She Has to Pay for Her Crime'
With the release of the brilliant Netflix miniseries When They See Us comes renewed interest in the trial surrounding the Central Park Five and its standing as one of the most heinous miscarriages of justice in the history of the state of New York. In exploring how five innocent black teenagers—whose only crimes were naiveté—were…
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Missouri’s Last Abortion Provider Can Remain Open for Business — for Now
Missouri’s only abortion clinic — The. Only. One. In. The. Entire. State. — has dodged the bullet and will remain open, at least for now. Despite protests from Missouri health officials, St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer issued an order Friday that will allow Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis clinic to continue performing abortions open even…
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Woman Charged With Killing a Man After Chasing Him Down Following a Hit-and-Run Gets $100,000 Bail
In a case that conjures up portions of the George Zimmerman case, a woman who faces murder charges after police say she fatally shot a 62-year-old driver in the stomach after confronting him following a hit-and-run has been given a $100,000 bond. Hannah Payne, 21, of Fayetteville, Ga., is accused of ignoring 911 dispatchers’ directives…
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Rated X: R. Kelly Hit With 11 New Sex Assault Charges
The R is facing an X rating when it comes to a slew of new sex assault charges R. Kelly got hit with Thursday. Details are scarce, but Cook County prosecutors filed 11 new felony charges against the singer, with four of the charges—aggravated criminal sexual assault—designated as Class X felonies that carry sentences of…