Criminal Justice
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Manhattan District Attorney Refuses to Reopen Cases Handled by Central Park Five Prosecutor Linda Fairstein
Since the release of Netflix’s haunting masterpiece When They See Us, karma has been working overtime to derail the lives and careers of former prosecutor Linda Fairstein and attorney Elizabeth Lederer—two of the biggest beneficiaries of the Exonerated Five’s 1990 convictions. But despite calls to do otherwise, CNN reports that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance…
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‘Appalled’ and ‘Disappointed’: Federal Judge Tells St. Louis to Stop Dragging Feet on Cash Bail Order
The city of St. Louis can no longer hold people in jail simply because they’re too poor to pay bail, a federal judge ruled last week. The decision was celebrated by the city’s civil rights advocates, who have argued for years that the city’s cash bail system was unconstitutional. But following the ruling—which gave city…
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T.I., the Central Park Five, and Ebenezer Baptist Church Kick Off Summit to End Mass Incarceration
Anyone who thinks the black church is a bygone relic with no relevance to the social justice struggles of today may need to reassess. “The church” is obviously not a monolith and is taking on everything from mental illness and HIV/AIDS to voter suppression and mass incarceration. In that vein, Rev. Raphael Warnock and the…
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Man Arrested in Killing of Black Trans Woman in Dallas, Muhlaysia Booker
Dallas Police have arrested a man they believe to be responsible for killing three women in Dallas, including Muhlaysia Booker, a black trans woman whose death drew national attention last month. Kendrell Lavar Lyles, 34, has been charged with three counts of murder, reports the Associated Press. In a press conference on Wednesday night, police…
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Alabama: Where You Can Be Forced to Give Birth After Being Raped and Maybe Have to Parent the Child With Your Rapist
What is up with these Southern states when it comes to women’s rights? (And as a proud New Yorker with deep roots in the Tar Heel State, aka North Cackalacky, aka North Carolina, where it’s perfectly legal to continue having sex with someone who told them to stop, I think I am well within my…
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If Democratic Lawmakers Get Their Way, 1 Million Convictions in California Could Be Expunged
After being released from prison, those who were once incarcerated often experience tremendous difficulty getting re-acclimated to society, but if Democratic lawmakers get their way, California citizens still being punished for mistakes from their past will be able to get a new lease on life. The Associated Press reports that after moving to automatically expunge…
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Mistrial Declared on Remaining 8 Rape and Kidnapping Charges Facing Ex-NFL Player Kellen Winslow II
A group of Southern California jurors found a charismatic former NFL player guilty of the rape of a homeless woman he befriended and of engaging in lewd and indecent conduct in front of two other women, but they could not agree on another eight charges involving another two women, and a judge on Tuesday declared…
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Ex-NFL Player Kellen Winslow II Found Guilty of Rape, Lewd Conduct Involving 3 Women
Former NFL player Kellen Winslow II is facing some eight years in prison after a Southern California jury found him guilty Monday of rape and lewd conduct charges in which three women were violated. The Vista, Calif., jury failed to come to a decision on eight other charges involving another two women, and the judge…
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Activists Demand Justice for Layleen Polanco, a Black Trans Woman Found Dead in a Rikers Island Jail Cell
A 27-year-old black trans woman, Layleen Polanco, also known as Layleen Xtravaganza, was found dead in her jail cell on Rikers Island last week, and the LGBTQ community and her family plan to rally today to demand justice in her name. Polanco was arrested in mid-April for allegedly assaulting a cab driver in Harlem and…