The Head of the Serpent.

Via Jamilah King at ColorLines, Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi has decided to suspend the sentences of Jamie and Gladys Scott, two women who were sentenced to life in prison for an armed robbery in 1994. Their release is contingent upon Gladys Scott giving a kidney to her sick sister, which [...]

A Novel Approach to Violence in Chicago

It’s two weeks too late for  Derrion Albert, but the New York Times reports that a former police officer named Ron Huberman has a new plan for trying to protect the most vulnerable students from violence. It sounds a bit like CompStat.

. . . if Mr. Huberman’s hunch is right, about 10,000 high [...]

More Justice in Texas.

From Texas Monthly

I think, as dispassionate observers of the legal system, we can all agree that Charles Hood probably got a fair trial despite the newly established fact that the prosecutor and judge were having an affair. Besides, if that was an issue, Hood’s lawyers should have just raised it [...]

No Indictment in 'Friendly-Fire' Case.

Remember that weird, problematic case in which the off-duty officer, in plainclothes, pulled out his gun and chased a guy who may have broken into his car, and then other cops came and shot that off-duty cop? News from the New York Times:

A grand jury in Manhattan has voted not to indict a [...]

More Fun With Race and Crime.

Adam Liptak reported on a study that found the way race factors into the death penalty in Harris County, Texas. This is important because Harris County (where Houston in located) puts more people to death than any other state in the U.S. (besides Texas, of course).

So what did the study find? [...]

The New Ten Crack Commandments

The way crime is prosecuted in America is inextricably linked to race and class. Yeah, yeah. Everyone knows that, right? But it bears repeating for the myopic ‘personal responsibility’ reactionaries: two new reports say black men are more likely to be arrested and convicted on drug offenses even though white and black [...]

How Many Innocent People Are in America's Prisons?

Scalia says the number is small enough to be acceptable, but Adam Liptak of the New York Times said it’s almost impossible to really know.

[...]

And a…Pot…in Every Pot.

Barney Frank wants to introduce legislation that decriminalize medical marijuana use.

We won’t go on a rant about the country’s misbegotten drug policy, but there’s no way this gains any traction in the House. Or is there?