Almost anywhere you find police corruption and abuse, you'll find otherwise decent cops who knew about their colleagues' misconduct and did nothing. How can police earn communities' trust when they continue to protect the worst actors within their own ranks?
Read MoreBill Cosby faces a second sexual assault trial after a hung jury scuttled the first one. But doesn't the Constitution protect people from being tried twice for the same crime?
Read MoreRepublican state lawmakers in Pennsylvania are threatening to impeach state Supreme Court justices over redrawn congressional districts. What could possibly go wrong?
Read MoreA tale of ethical shenanigans by two married lawyers: when she's disbarred after a fraud conviction, he looks the other way while she continues practicing without a license.
Read MoreIn the U.S., judges set bail – an amount of money defendants must deposit with the court -- to make sure people appear in court. Defendants must pay the bail amount to get released to wait for trial. Those with enough money to get out before trial, but those without cash stay in jail – regardless of the risk they pose. Could a data-based system do a better job of assessing these risks, and keep the poor out of jail before trial?
Read MoreRecreational use of marijuana is still illegal in Pennsylvania. But increasingly, jurisdiction-level policy decisions are pushing cities toward decriminalization. This week, Philadelphia's newly-elected reformist D.A. announced his office is dropping all simple-possession marijuana cases. What's his reasoning, and how will the move affect policing?
Read MoreMore U.S. cities are considering opening "safe injection sites" where addicts can inject intravenous drugs under medical supervision. The goal is harm reduction, and there's strong evidence the practice saves lives. But is it legal?
Read MoreFired for allegedly stealing from her firm, a Pennsylvania lawyer is now accused of breaking into the office to rob her former co-workers.
Read MorePresident Trump's lawyers are anxious about the prospect of an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Can they avoid it? Should they try?
Read MoreMore and more states are legalizing marijuana, but California is taking it a step further by retroactively vacating old convictions.
Photo: Bob Doran (CC-BY-2.0)
Read MorePrivate prisons hold over 100,000 people in the U.S. Some say they provide needed flexibility as corrections populations change and budgets shrink. But what really happens when punishment is about profit?
Read MoreA small-town judge plants recording devices all over a New Mexico county courthouse to spy on employees and colleagues.
Read MoreIn some states, people convicted of felonies lose certain rights -- notably, the right to vote. What's the legal justification for a practice that indefinitely suspends the civil rights of convicts, even after they've served their sentence?
Read MoreCreative billing practices create trouble for an Atlanta attorney.
Read MoreFor years, the Philadelphia District Attorney's office was notorious for heavy-handed and often racially discriminatory prosecution. As of this month, it's led by a former criminal defense attorney and activist elected with a mandate for reform. What can we expect from D.A. Larry Krasner, and what pitfalls may await him?
Read MoreWhy has the US prison population grown for decades, surpassing two million? We’ve put more people in jail, but new research shows it’s not just how many people go to prison. What counts, for prison growth, is how long they stay.
Read MoreThe U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case involving a Louisiana defense attorney who defied his client's wishes by preemptively conceding the man's guilt, asking that he be spared the death penalty because of his mental illness.
Is it ever okay for an lawyer to overrule his own client? What if it might be their only chance to save the client's life?
Read MoreWhy forging court records is not a great idea, especially when you're an aspiring lawyer.
Read MoreEight convictions have already been thrown out amid allegations about coerced confessions and other misconduct by former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara, and dozens more cases are now in question. But the Guevara case is far from an isolated incident.
Read MoreA Florida defense attorney produces porn videos in a jail interview room, featuring arrested sex workers he falsely claims to represent.
Read More
