Criminal Justice
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Spike Lee on Filming in Georgia After Abortion Ban: 'They Got to Shut It Down'
Ever since Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a “heartbeat” bill that prohibits abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, Hollywood studios such as Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. have expressed an unwillingness to continue filming in the state should the draconian legislation be implemented. And as celebrities arrived for Denzel Washington’s…
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New Louisiana Law Allows Expert Testimony on the Flaws of Eyewitness Accounts of Crimes
In 1971, when Wilbert Jones was just 19 years old, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping a nurse at gunpoint from the parking lot of a hospital in Baton Rouge, La., and raping her behind a building. As previously reported by The Root, the state’s case against Jones relied heavily on the testimony and…
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Chicago Releases Jussie Smollett 911 Tapes: ‘They Put a Noose Around His Neck’
On Wednesday night, the City of Chicago released two 911 calls from the night Jussie Smollett was allegedly attacked. The calls, which came from a person claiming to be employed by Smollett, claimed that the former Empire actor was “jumped” by some guys, who then put a noose around Smollet’s neck. The caller also complained…
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‘I Ain’t No Killer, Bro’: Derion Vence Proclaims Innocence in Death of Maleah Davis During Jailhouse Interview With Houston Reporter
The man jailed in connection to the death of 4-year-old Maleah Davis is protesting his innocence from the confines of his Texas jail cell. “I ain’t no killer, bro,” Derion Vence told KTRK ABC 13. “[…] I loved Maleah so much. I did for her more than her own parents. … I would never do…
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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…