Legal System

Junko Furuta was a Japanese schoolgirl, brutally raped and killed by four young men, who received shockingly light sentences. How did they get off so easily?

By Dave Roos

Now that former President Donald Trump has been indicted in Manhattan, what happens to his Secret Service detail? Would he get protection if he goes to prison, too?

By Dave Roos

Former President Donald Trump was arraigned but didn't have his mug shot taken. Why not, and what's the deal behind this police photograph?

By Patrick J. Kiger

The arrest warrant issued today for Russian President Vladimir Putin will not guarantee his arrest and it will not bring the children home, but it's a start.

By Stefan Schmitt

Five of the 10 Sodder children disappeared after the family home went up in flames in 1945, but their bodies were never found. Strange theories have abounded ever since. So, what happened to them?

By Kate Morgan

The reproduction of books, movies and songs is closely protected by copyright law, but intellectual property in the public domain can be used by anyone for free.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The court heard oral arguments Oct. 31, 2022, in two cases that could end the use of race as a factor in college admissions decisions. How could this also affect affirmative action in the military?

By Travis Knoll

A Netflix docuseries about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of its most-watched shows ever. We reviewed FBI files of his case instead and got a chilling look at what drove him to kill.

By Suzie Dundas

Taste the rainbow or a dangerous additive? Skittles contain titanium dioxide, which some say causes health problems in humans. So, why is it still on the ingredient list?

By Laurie L. Dove

While the U.S. is in full support of investigating Vladimir Putin's war crimes in Ukraine, it's long opposed the International Criminal Court at The Hague. But why?

By Patrick J. Kiger

People have been raising alarms about the potential for nonconsensual, surreptitious collection and testing of DNA for years, but will genetic paparazzi with DNA collection kits become as ubiquitous as those with cameras?

By Liza Vertinsky & Yaniv Heled

H.R. 8, which passed the House last year, would eliminate private gun sale loopholes and require nearly universal background checks. But it faces difficult odds of passage in the Senate.

By Patrick J. Kiger

ADX Florence is the only federal "supermax" prison in the U.S. and home to a rogue's gallery of notorious criminals. What's it like to serve time there?

By Dave Roos

Now that we're working at home more often than before, we may have got to know our neighbors better — and found out they're very noisy during the day. So, how can you get them to quiet down?

By Dave Roos

U.S. President Joe Biden accused Vladimir Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine. But who really determines whether a genocide is occurring, and how?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Arne Johnson stabbed a man to death in 1981. His intended legal defense? Guilty by reason of demonic possession. Did it work?

By John Donovan

A jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges. A Harvard legal scholar weighs in on why the verdict directly challenges the legal standards for self-defense.

By Ronald Sullivan

True crime is often stranger than fiction. How much do you know about some of the strangest and most notorious criminals out there like Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper and the Night Stalker?

By Alia Hoyt

About seven in 10 Americans log on to social media, the Pew Research Center reported in April 2021. By the time a high-profile court case rolls around for jury selection, there's a good chance they've heard something about it. Can the impartial jury system survive the digital age?

By Thaddeus Hoffmeister

Indigenous women have been going missing and been murdered along an infamous stretch of highway in British Columbia since the 1960s. But not much is being done to find them — or who killed them.

By John Donovan

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the challenge to the restrictive Mississippi abortion ban Dec. 1, 2021. What does it mean for Roe v. Wade? Could the landmark case be overturned?

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Cities like Chicago are spending millions for high-tech systems that can identify and pinpoint the exact location of a gunshot. But are these systems worth the price tag?

By John Donovan

On most U.S. shorelines, the public has had a time-honored right to "lateral" access to beaches. That sandy space, however, is being hotly contested.

By Thomas Ankersen

Pop princess Britney Spears has been locked in a conservatorship since 2008. Hers isn't a typical conservatorship for many reasons. We'll explain.

By Sarah Gleim

Ed Gein was known as the "The Butcher of Plainfield" for killing two women in the late 1950s. But he was also the inspiration for iconic horror movie characters, including Psycho's Norman Bates and Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Leatherface.

By John Donovan