The death penalty appears to be heading towards its own death. This past year (2014), states across the country executed 35 people, the lowest number in 20 years, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, and as reported in the Wall Street Journal. This year marked an even larger drop in the number of people sentenced to death, down to 72, the lowest
Read moreIt seems like every day another woman comes forward with a claim that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted her. But because all of the alleged incidents apparently occurred so long ago, if Cosby did in fact commit such heinous acts, he may be able to get away with it without facing legal consequences. Why does it matter how long ago the alleged sexual
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A grand jury in the Michael Brown case has decided not to charge Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Michael Brown, with any crime (see below for an explanation of what this means). Though some believe the failure to even charge the officer with a crime (let alone convict him) means the system has failed, this assessment may be premature. In fact,
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: If you are charged with a serious crime, and cannot afford an attorney, the government must provide you with a defense attorney free of charge. 1U.S. Constitution, 6th amendment; Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963); Argersinger v. Hamlin, 407 U.S. 25 (1972) More specifically, this means low-income people cannot be put in jail without being provided an attorney (usually a “public
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: The U.S. military is prohibited from investigating or enforcing state laws against civilians. 1Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 NCIS is not just a TV show. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is responsible for investigating crimes against or by members of the Navy and Marine Corps. While NCIS is allowed to investigate its members on or off base, it is strictly
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