Massive cuts to the state’s public-defender budget will only increase the number of low-level defendants awaiting legal representation in overcrowded jails.
Law and Justice
Posted inLaw and Justice
Conservative Dark Money Targets Senators in Supreme Court Fight
Despite Merrick Garland’s moderate credentials and former bipartisan support, conservatives have gone on the offensive to block his nomination.
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Maryland Criminal Justice Advocates, Police Unions Clash Over Reforms
Reformers arguing for civilian participation in misconduct investigations face opposition from police unions they say shield officers from disciplinary action.
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Future of Abortion Access Remains Unclear After Supreme Court Oral Arguments
The decision over whether Texas’s abortion restrictions constitute an undue burden on a woman’s right to choose will likely come down to which side persuaded Justice Anthony Kennedy.
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The Far-Reaching Consequences of the Supreme Court Abortion Rights Challenge
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt represents a critical moment for reproductive rights, which anti-abortion advocates have been chipping away at for decades.
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Obama and the Supreme Court: Lose Today, Win Tomorrow?
In choosing a successor to Antonin Scalia, Obama would do well to play the long game and consider a nominee with strong progressive credentials.
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McConnell’s Misstep — and Obama’s Backbone
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made a big mistake when he declared that Republicans would not confirm any Supreme Court nominee appointed by President Obama in this election year. For starters, it makes Republican senators, several of whom are defending closely contested seats in purple states, look purely obstructionist and opportunist. The same goes for […]
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Where Scalia’s Vote Was Decisive
A list of the key 5-4 decisions that Justice Antonin Scalia tipped to the right
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Justice Department Fails to Criminally Prosecute a Big Bank — Again
Last week, the Justice Department announced that it had reached a $470 million settlement with mega-bank HSBC related to mortgage lending and foreclosure fraud that led to the economic collapse of 2008. “This settlement illustrates the department’s continuing commitment to ensure responsible mortgage servicing,” Benjamin Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in […]
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New Mexico Bucks Criminal Justice Reform Trends, Moves Toward Harsher Penalties
Proponents of tough-on-crime policies aren’t throwing in the towel just yet. In late January, the Republican-controlled New Mexico House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the number of violent felonies punishable under the state’s “three-strikes” law. Currently, New Mexico law mandates a life sentence for repeat offenders convicted of three separate violent […]