DOJ Opens Racial Discrimination Investigation into San Francisco’s Bail System in the Wake of Two Successful Settlements Against Other Counties

In response to complaints filed by Equal Justice Under Law against numerous counties across the nation, the Justice Department is now scrutinizing jurisdictions that disproportionately deny pretrial release to people of color, or more commonly, set bail at substantially higher amounts for people of color than for white defendants accused of the same or similar offenses.

Alice Marie Johnson is Commuted

In our line of work, we don't get good news too often so we love to celebrate victories when they happen.

This one is special: President Trump pardoned Alice Marie Johnson, who served 21 years of a life sentence without parole for a single non-violent drug offense.

New Federal Prison Policies May Put Books and Email on Ice

World Book and Copyright Day falls on April 23rd each year. To mark the occasion, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, observed that "Books are at the intersection of some of the most essential human freedoms, primarily freedom of expression and freedom to publish. These are fragile freedoms. "

Catherine SevcenkoApril 25, 2018prison, book ban, mass incarceration, first amendment, constitution, law, legal, civil rightsComment

Victory for Kettle Falls Five

This dismissal ends more than five years of unjustified prosecution against a family whose only ‘crime’ was treating their own medical conditions in compliance with Washington State medical marijuana laws. This is a victory not only for this family, but for all medical marijuana patients across the country.