Jimmie “Chris” Duncan was released from death row after 27 years after Judge Alvin Sharp ruled that “clear and convincing evidence proves (Duncan) is factually innocent in the alleged murder of Haley Oliveaux,” due to the fraudulent forensics of Drs. Steven Hayne and Michael West.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 state attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Tribal Warrant Fairness Act, which would provide Tribal law enforcement with stronger tools to respond to violence, disappearances, and jurisdictional gaps in Indigenous communities.
The League of Women Voters of Oregon and the ACLU of Oregon have filed a legal brief defending Oregon’s voter privacy protections in response to a federal lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking unredacted voter data.
The Economist reports that the US is executing people at double the rate compared to last year, with the rise attributed to Republican political ambitions and a decrease in court oversight of the death penalty.
Judicial transparency group Scrutinize and government accountability organization Reinvent Albany have released a report urging the new mayor of New York City to overhaul the judicial appointment system and increase transparency and accountability.
PEN America has launched the Incarcerated Writers Bureau, a digital platform to provide professional and creative opportunities for incarcerated writers and break down industry barriers, featuring 21 writers and offering guidance to publishers, journalists, and literary agents.
It arrived in my California cell like a thought arrow, quivered within an envelope bearing a postmark…
The DJUSD School Closure and District-Wide Redesign Plan lacks financial information and alternatives, leaving parents with many unanswered questions and concerns.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring ICE to provide basic human needs to detainees at its San Francisco Field Office, including clean bedding, hygiene products, medical care, and legal information in their primary languages.
The New York Times found that federal law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration shifted substantially, resulting in a surge of immigration arrests while gun- and drug-related enforcement sharply declined.
Multiple federal death row prisoners whose sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden are facing transfer to ADX Florence, the nation’s most restrictive federal prison, raising constitutional questions and accusations of retaliation.
A federal judge has issued an order banning ICE from carrying out warrantless arrests in Colorado, ruling that the agency’s practices violate federal law, and the ruling provides immediate protections to people who may otherwise be subject to warrantless detention based on profiling or insufficient investigation.
At a congressional field hearing in Los Angeles, lawmakers, community advocates and local officials heard testimony from over two dozen individuals about wrongful detentions by federal immigration authorities, prompting UnidosUS to call for stronger safeguards to protect civil rights.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against the USDA, challenging the Trump administration’s guidance for implementing SNAP eligibility restrictions, arguing that it unlawfully excludes certain lawfully residing noncitizens from receiving food assistance benefits.
Two Yolo County parents accused of child endangerment had their motion for judicial diversion denied due to the alleged conduct and statutory limits, and the case will now proceed through the standard criminal process.
Homelessness is primarily caused by unaffordable housing, not addiction or mental illness, and is exacerbated by a lack of safety nets and the collapse of low-cost rentals.
The ACLU of Northern California successfully challenged a DHS subpoena seeking to unmask anonymous Instagram users who posted videos of ICE raids in Los Angeles, protecting the First Amendment rights of those documenting law enforcement activity in public.
A coalition of civil rights organizations has filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging the Missouri Department of Mental Health is illegally leaving people with serious mental illness to deteriorate in jail without court-ordered treatment.
A new report on Jefferson County’s fines and fees system argues that U.S. courts’ reliance on monetary sanctions is ineffective at generating revenue and disproportionately harmful to Black and low-income residents, prompting action from Jefferson County officials and the creation of a statewide task force to review fines and fees policies.
Florida is moving forward with the execution of Mark Gerald on Dec. 5, 2025, despite major concerns about missing evidence, inadequate defense, and unaddressed mental health issues, highlighting the need for more thorough forensic analysis and investigation in capital punishment cases.