Seattle Mayor Known As ‘Tear Gas Jenny’ For Police Treatment Of Protesters Has Troubled History As A Federal Prosecutor
As U.S. attorney in Seattle, Durkan prosecuted a severely mentally ill man in a terrorism case using an informant convicted of child sex abuse—and claimed to have reformed the same Seattle Police Department that has tear-gassed peaceful protesters for weeks.
Jerry Iannelli Jul 29, 2020
Starve The Mass Incarceration Beast By Shutting The Front Door
To decarcerate New Orleans, we must defund the police department.
LAPD Officer Who Killed Man in Mental Health Crisis Is a Gun-Toting Social Media Star
In late April, officer Toni McBride shot Daniel Hernandez to death after a suicide call. His attorney and grieving family say videos posted on social media of McBride gleefully firing high-powered weapons show that she’s a trigger-happy officer.
Jerry Iannelli Jul 02, 2020
Budget Cuts May Keep Rikers Open Past 2027 Deadline
Reductions in budgets related to the novel coronavirus have slowed New York City’s plan to close Rikers by building new jails, and it’s becoming increasingly possible that the city will not meet its January 2027 deadline.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 29, 2020
‘No Cop Money’ Pledge Should Extend To Consultants And Law Enforcement Super PACs
Law enforcement super PACs are spending big money on district attorney races and local elections from California to New York—and respected Democratic consulting firms are helping them.
Defund The Police. Our Lives Depend On It.
Safe and healthy communities start with less police and more investment in community services that work.
Law Schools’ Complicity On Racism Must Be Challenged
This historical moment is crying out for a re-examination of our institutions, and law schools are no exception.
Legal Experts Question Use Of Federal Law To Prosecute Torching Of Empty NYPD Patrol Car During Protests
Federal prosecutors argue that damaging a police vehicle is a violation of federal statutes in part because the police department receives federal funding. Former prosecutors and law professors say it’s an absurd rationale driven by politics of the Justice Department.
Jerry Iannelli Jun 23, 2020
Protesters Say Hamilton County Sheriff Held Them Overnight Without Food, Water, Bathrooms
Two people, arrested and detained in Cincinnati after protesting the police killing of George Floyd, recall being held at the jail, outside, for hours.
Caleb Brennan Jun 22, 2020
Family of Man Who Died at California Jail After Shouting ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Demands Answers From Sheriff
In October 2018, Marshall Miles died at the Sacramento County jail after struggling with deputies. His lawyers say a deposition scheduled for next month will force the sheriff to answer for the in-custody death.
Jerry Iannelli Jun 18, 2020
U.N. to Hold Debate On U.S. Police Violence
After families of people killed by police asked the organization to investigate racist American policing, 54 African nations called for a debate on the treatment of Black Americans. The debate will happen today.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 17, 2020
Police Killings Bring Out Tensions Within The Labor Movement
Some unions and labor activists are calling for the AFL-CIO to expel police unions.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 08, 2020
Police Departments Have Failed Black And Latinx Communities. It Will Take Deliberate Work To Earn Back Their Trust.
The use of excessive force against nonwhite communities and people protesting police brutality is further eroding public confidence in policing.
Ellison Berryhill Jun 05, 2020
Don’t Let Cops Join Our Protests
Cops who turn marches against police violence into parades don’t actually want substantial changes to policing.
Derecka Purnell Jun 02, 2020
Freddie Gray, Five Years Later
On the anniversary of the Baltimore Uprising protests, new evidence in Gray’s death uncovers suppressed witness accounts of police brutality.
Justine Barron Apr 23, 2020
Drive-By Protesters Demand Release Of All Prisoners In D.C. Amid Coronavirus
‘It seems like Black people are still being criminalized and are not free,’ one organizer said.
Lauren Gill Apr 17, 2020
Justice in America Episode 21: Police Accountability
Josie Duffy and co-host Darnell Moore discuss police accountability and explain why it’s so hard for the criminal justice system to hold police accountable.
Feb 26, 2020
How District Attorney Jackie Lacey Failed Los Angeles
On a host of issues—including police shootings, bail reform, marijuana legalization, and the death penalty—critics say Lacey, once seen as a reformer, has sought to preserve the status quo.
Jessica Pishko Nov 12, 2019
New York City Voters May Expand Power of Civilian Review Board, Allowing It to Investigate Police Who Lie
If passed, Question 2 would also allow the board to force police commissioners to provide more insight into disciplinary decisions.
Aaron Morrison Nov 05, 2019
‘A Green Light For Abuse’: Despite Reforms, California Counties Still Conceal Records On Police Use Of Force
A lawsuit in Los Angeles and a motion in Orange County highlight battles to get key information.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 31, 2019
LA County Supervisors to Vote on Canceling Jail Contract
Black Lives Matter and other advocates have pushed county officials to abandon the $2.2 billion project with McCarthy Builders.
Lauren Gill Aug 08, 2019
Media Frame: Stop Quoting Bill Bratton
For far too long, the press has leaned on wrong-headed tough-on-crime officials like the former NYPD commissioner when reporting on the criminal legal system.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jul 22, 2019
Body Cameras And Tasers Rake In Billions For Axon, But They’re No Panacea For Police Violence
The popularity of Axon’s tech soared after the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014, but it may be doing more harm than good in protecting people from excessive force.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 10, 2019
L.A. Prosecutor Touts Her Mental Health Reforms, But Critics Say She’s Making The Crisis Worse
Advocates and attorneys say Jackie Lacey’s rhetoric doesn’t match her actions.
Raven Rakia Jun 07, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: Pushing For Police Accountability in Sacramento
With Appeal senior staff reporter Aaron Morrison
Adam H. Johnson Mar 14, 2019
Expansion Of Largest Jail System In The United States Must End
Los Angeles County’s jail system incarcerates tens of thousands of people at a multi-billion dollar cost. The communities most impacted by mass incarceration have had enough.
Years After Protests, NYPD Retains Photos of Black Lives Matter Activists
The records raise questions about the department’s compliance with its protest monitoring rules.
George Joseph Jan 17, 2019
For The First Time, A Chicago Judge Could Lose His Seat For Being Too ‘Tough on Crime’
No Cook County judge has lost a retention election in 28 years.
Bryce Covert Nov 05, 2018
An Inside Look At An Ohio Police Force’s Race Problem
A white cop joked about bringing explosives to a Black Lives Matter protest in Columbus with no consequences. A black cop joked about ‘black on black’ crime and may be fired.
George Joseph Aug 13, 2018
St. Louis County Could Oust The Prosecutor Who Helped Ignite Ferguson Protests
His opponent in Tuesday’s primary helped establish new police accountability and court reforms in Ferguson after the police shooting of Michael Brown.
Amanda Sakuma Aug 06, 2018
Meet ‘Bob Smith,’ The Fake Facebook Profile Memphis Police Allegedly Used To Spy On Black Activists
New records obtained by the Appeal show the account seems to have been monitoring Black Lives Matter activists for years.
George Joseph Aug 02, 2018
Memphis Police Collected Black Lives Matter Activists’ Private Facebook Posts
Police appear to have used a fake Facebook account to 'friend' activists and archive who 'liked' their posts.
George Joseph Jul 27, 2018