For 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 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 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Read MoreU.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy directing federal prosecutors to de-prioritize enforcement of marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized the drug. Will the new directive slow the growing acceptance of legal weed among voters, states, and mainstream politicians? (Spoiler: It will not.)
Read MoreSexual abuse allegations against Alabama Judge Roy Moore have dealt a blow to the Republican candidate's Senate campaign. But could he also face criminal charges?
Read MoreMany people are incredulous at the Louisiana Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal over the conviction of a man who asked police during his interrogation to "give me a lawyer, dog."
According to an opinion written by one of the justices, the request was too ambiguous to count as an invocation of the suspect's Miranda rights. David explains why that's actually correct -- for reasons unrelated to the vernacular usage of "dog."
Read MoreWhat do the indictments of two former Trump campaign aides, and the guilty plea entered by a third, tell us about the status of special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation?
Read MoreThere were high hopes for police body cameras in the wake of Ferguson. But three years later, have they lived up to the hype? A new study says no.
Read MoreHarvey Weinstein is heard on tape admitting to criminal acts, and there's more than enough evidence to prosecute him. So why isn't he facing charges? And does this sound familiar?
Read MoreUpdates on a pair of stories we've covered in the last year: Lawyers Behaving Badly alumnus Roy Moore becomes Alabama's GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, and a D.C. court puts new limits on police use of "Stingray" surveillance technology re: Episode 48).
Read MoreThe acquittal of a St. Louis police officer charged with shooting a civilian has raised the question: why wasn't the case heard by a jury? David explains why police facing trial often opt to be tried by a judge.
Read MoreSpecial Prosecutor Robert Mueller is teaming up with the New York Attorney General's office. What does it mean for the investigation into the Trump White House's Russia connection?
Read MoreThe presidential pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio was a message to Donald Trump's supporters: if you defy a federal court order, I've got your back. David explains how the notorious Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff was convicted of contempt of court, and why his pardon sets a dangerous precedent.
Read MoreThere's been a vocal response to President Trump's remarks before an audience of police officers last week where he seemed to encourage "roughing up" suspects during the course of an arrest. The president's defenders say it was a joke, but many law enforcement professionals aren't laughing.
Read MoreDetails are still sparse in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Justine Damond, an Australian national, by Minneapolis police on July 15. But what we do know points to a serious problem with the relationship between police and the people who rely on them for protection and safety.
Read MoreOhio prosecutors have declined to seek a third trial against a white University of Cincinnati police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black man during a 2015 traffic stop.
Read MoreThe latest bombshell development in the Trump-Russia affair -- news of Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer he hoped would provide him with incriminating information on Hillary Clinton -- has prompted some pretty intense rhetoric. Intimations of "treason," for instance. But does the concept apply here? We examine the legal definition of treason in the context of Trump and Russia.
Read MoreThe Minnesota police officer who killed Philando Castile has been acquitted, despite video evidence of the shooting seen by the jury. How did this happen?
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