Justice (courts/crime/law)
Law to protect news sources could backfire in some cases, experts say
Legal experts say the proposed federal shield law could actually diminish the protections some federal courts have recognized, the St. Louis Beacon reports. “Contrary to conventional wisdom, the proposed federal shield law backed by the press and President Barack Obama wouldn’t help reporters protect their sources in big national security cases, such as the recent…
Read MoreSome traffic violators getting off with bribes in South Africa
According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, 65% of fatal crashes that happen on weekends, in South Africa, are because of alcohol abuse by drivers and pedestrians. However, in a report filed by Kirsti Buick, a journalism student from Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, many drivers are getting off with paying a bribe, “some…
Read MoreDead zone for police radios may have led to deputy’s death
The Times-Picayune reports that “as legal proceedings continue for a group accused of shooting four sheriff’s deputies in St. Johns and Baptist Parish testimony in a preliminary hearing has spotlighted something deputies in the parish have known for a long time: Throughout St. John, there are areas where emergency radios cannot snag a signal from…
Read MoreDespite mortgage schemes, real estate agents keep license
“Despite Minnesota’s crackdown on ‘deceptive and dishonest’ loan modification schemes, the state Commerce Department has allowed many of those involved to retain their real estate licenses a Star Tribune report has found.” “Since 2010, the department has taken enforcement action against 36 individuals for violating mortgage modification laws. Ten of them held some kind of…
Read MoreAfter coming forward, military sexual assault victims diagnosed with mental disorders
“A seven-month San Antonio Express-News investigation into the pervasive and long-standing problem of sex assaults in the military shows victims who report the incidents often are retaliated against and discharged on false claims that they have mental disorders. Offenders, meanwhile, are rarely punished, and most are allowed to stay in the armed forces.”
Read MoreAfter More Than a Decade and Thousands of Disfiguring Injuries, Power Tool Industry Still Resisting Safety Fix
“But as court records and testimony have shown, the companies rejected the safety advance for another reason, too: They worried that if a way to prevent severe injuries got traction in the market, they would face liability for accidents with conventional saws.”
Read MoreSpeedy removal
“The government is bypassing judicial hearings in an attempt to swiftly deport thousands of immigrants each year,” according to an investigation by the Chicago Reporter.
Read MoreMany DAs, judges, lawmakers stay in office after DWIs
“An American-Statesman analysis shows that, unlike Cole, other district attorneys, as well as judges and elected officials, have chosen to remain in office after their DWIs. In some cases, they have tried to separate their professional work from their personal mistakes. When Tarrant County state District Judge Elizabeth Berry was arrested for drinking and driving…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Faltering courts, the curse of fertilizer, nuclear byproduct, stranding the mentally ill
Faltering Courts, Mired in Delays | The New York Times“The Bronx courts are failing. With criminal cases languishing for years, a plague of delays in the Bronx criminal courts is undermining one of the central ideals of the justice system, the promise of a speedy trial.” The Curse of Fertilizer | National Geographic Magazine“Runaway nitrogen…
Read MoreGranting of some bonds comes through backdoor practice, with no prosecutor input
“In many instances, the decision is in direct contradiction to the recommendations of court workers who assess the defendant’s risk of fleeing or harming the public, an American-Statesman review has found.” Read the American-Statesman’s full investigation here.
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