Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carol Leonnig has warned that Donald Trump has taken a “wrecking ball” to the Department of Justice, hollowing it out with political purges, fear, and the dismantling of long-standing norms, potentially threatening the rule of law and the fairness of the justice system.
A federal judge ruled that Bill Essayli was not lawfully serving as acting United States attorney for the Central District of California, finding that the Trump administration’s appointment violated federal law.
The American Bar Association has condemned recent federal prosecutorial actions that appear to be politically motivated, warning that such interference threatens the credibility of the U.S. legal system.
The Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) has condemned the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the Trump administration of using the Department of Justice to silence critics and undermine democracy.
The Sentencing Project warns that the overreach of federal criminal law into local offenses disproportionately harms Black and Latino communities, and Congress has introduced legislation to limit federal prosecution of conduct already handled at the state and local levels.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the Department of Justice for political retribution and undermining democratic norms, in response to the politically motivated indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice indicted former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday evening, acting on…
Despite Department of Justice findings of abuse and promises of change, MPD is illegally withholding records the public needs to hold them accountable and is refusing to turn over public records it is legally required to provide.
Since Charlie Kirk’s killing, the government has threatened to punish anyone who speaks ill of the conservative…
The Federal Prison Oversight Act was passed to increase transparency and accountability in the nation’s largest prison system, giving the DOJ inspector general new authority to inspect federal prisons and allowing for an independent party to investigate claims made by incarcerated people, their families and prison staff.
The Trump administration has reduced the number of immigration judges by one-sixth, loosened hiring qualifications, and begun installing military lawyers as civil immigration judges, raising concerns about civil rights protections and the integrity of the immigration system.
California law enforcement officers killed fewer people, fired fewer shots, and used force less often in 2024 than in any year since the state began tracking the data, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle, while red states such as Texas and Florida saw an increase in police killings.
Congress has approved a $170 billion immigration enforcement package that critics say will increase deportations, funnel billions into private detention, and sideline due process protections, marking one of the largest expansions of immigration enforcement in U.S. history.
Civil rights advocates have condemned the DOJ’s recommendation for a one-day prison sentence for Brett Hankison, arguing that it diminishes the gravity of his actions and the life lost, and sends a minimizing message about justice.
California has expunged nearly one million old conviction records in 2024 under laws aimed at giving millions of residents a second chance, representing a significant milestone in efforts to dismantle the collateral consequences of past convictions.
Labor law scholar Matthew W. Finkin has compared former President Donald Trump’s actions to those of Adolf Hitler in his opinion piece, warning of the erosion of democratic governance and the rule of law in the United States.
The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in support of Huntington Beach’s lawsuit challenging the California Values Act, which restricts local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration officials, and cited the newly enacted Laken Riley Act as evidence of its unconstitutionality.
A federal judge granted California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for a temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump’s seizure of the California National Guard, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a stay allowing the Trump administration to maintain control of the California National Guard for now.
The ACLU has launched the Seven States Safety Campaign to hold law enforcement accountable for systemic abuse, after Trump’s executive order encouraged police brutality and dismantled oversight, and the DOJ withdrew consent decrees aimed at addressing widespread constitutional violations.
The ACLU is calling for the federal government to reassert its authority over law enforcement oversight after the Trump administration rolled back key DOJ accountability mechanisms, while the Biden administration found systemic patterns of police abuse in seven states.