California’s New Attorney General Has A Reputation As A Criminal Justice Reformer. But His Biggest Test Is Yet To Come Rob Bonta’s career has hinged on the idea that the law can be used to engender social justice. His elevation to California’s “top cop” position, where he will become responsible for the vast bureaucracy of the state’s criminal legal system, will be a crucible for that belief. Piper French
Illinois State Lawmakers Vote To Eliminate Cash Bail The move is part of a broader criminal justice reform bill that also ends prison gerrymandering, and mandates body cameras for all police departments. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
When My Brother Died Of An Overdose, The State Charged Two People With Murder. That Isn’t Justice. You can’t incarcerate a public health problem. It doesn’t make us safer. It doesn’t repair harm. Daveen Trentman
Two of His Sons Are Incarcerated During the Pandemic. A Third Is Fighting to Get Them Out. Both incarcerated brothers are at an increased risk of complications from COVID-19—and one has tested positive. Chris Gelardi
Clemency Gave Him A Second Chance. He Won’t Forget His Friends Who Haven’t Been As Lucky A year after Alfonzo Riley returned from prison, he’s helping to vet innocence claims. Kira Lerner
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
California Gang Laws Are Normalized Racism The gang database in the state gives police increased authority to approach and harass people for virtually no reason at all. Emily Galvin-Almanza
Pennsylvania’s Crime Victim Definition Leaves Out Communities Most Affected By Crime The state’s narrow interpretation gives too much weight to voices that support a punitive criminal legal system, advocates say. Joshua Vaughn
The Felony Murder Rule As A ‘Representation Of What’s Wrong In Our Criminal Legal System’ Vaidya Gullapalli
Thousands Are Serving Life Without Parole Sentences in Pennsylvania. A Board Of Pardons Hearing Might Begin To Change That. People seeking commutations from life sentences encounter a steep hurdle in the state’s board of pardons. The board will convene on Sept. 13 to review more than 20 cases. Joshua Vaughn
California Man Charged With Murder Even Though He Didn’t Fire A Shot Last year, lawmakers repealed the felony murder rule, which allowed prosecutors to charge defendants with murders they didn‘t commit. Prosecutors are trying to overturn the new law, but AG Xavier Becerra believes that the reform should stand. Darwin BondGraham
Texas Plans to Execute a Man For A Murder He Didn’t Commit Patrick Murphy didn’t even learn about the murder until later that day. A controversial law allows him to be executed anyway. Katie Rose Quandt
Hundreds Stuck in California Prisons as Prosecutors Seek to Block New Law Senate Bill 1437 virtually eliminated the ‘felony-murder rule,’ but district attorneys aren’t ready to let it go. Jessica Pishko
Justice in America Episode 17: Killers Who Don’t Kill Josie and Clint unpack the felony murder doctrine with Marlon Peterson, an advocate, writer, and host of the podcast DEcarcerated. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
‘I’ve Made My Share Of Wrongs, But I Haven’t Killed No One’ California amended its felony murder law, which holds accomplices responsible for murder. But reform won’t reach a man sentenced to death in a deadly robbery—even though he was never accused of firing a shot. Maura Ewing
Pennsylvania Man Charged With Homicide Wasn’t Even Present When Victim Was Killed Darius Jacob Taylor wasn’t in the state when a robbery he was allegedly involved with ended in murder. But because of the felony murder rule, he’s charged with criminal homicide and faces life imprisonment. Joshua Vaughn
An Alabama Prosecutor Locked Up 4 Black Teens For A Murder They Didn’t Commit. Now He’s Trying 2 More. Two teenagers are facing life without parole sentences for capital murder, though it’s not clear they pulled the trigger. George Joseph
The Appeal Podcast: The Cruelty of Felony Murder Laws With Appeal contributor Katie Rose Quandt. Adam H. Johnson
