Legal System

Police and fire departments across the U.S. are eliminating jargon like "10-4" in favor of every-day vernacular. And there's a good reason why.

By John Perritano

William Burke and William Hare cut out the middleman in the early 19th-century Scottish grave-robbing game.

By Jesslyn Shields

Omarosa did it, but does that mean you can too — legally that is? A lot depends on which state you live in.

By Dave Roos

The new law is being hailed as a victory for women tired of being harassed on French streets.

By Laurie L. Dove

Ordinary citizens are allowed to make arrests in every U.S. state, but legal experts warn that it's a risky thing to do.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Political ideology serves as a motivator for some people to commit espionage, but it's not the only factor at play when someone decides to spy.

By Jerad W. Alexander

In the vast majority of cases, a child, parent, spouse or friend who goes missing returns home unharmed. But if they don't, would you know what to do first?

By Dave Roos

Stand Your Ground laws are controversial and exist in nearly half the states in the United States. But what exactly are they?

By Jerad W. Alexander

An active shooter situation at work may not be common, but you should really know how you'd handle it before it happens.

By Dave Roos

Psychics often try to help police solve crimes, but how many times are they really successful?

By Diana Brown

President Donald Trump says if the U.S. just deports members of the MS-13 gang, the country will be much safer. But is it really that simple?

By John Donovan

From public letters to anime porn, the 470,000 public files offer a window into the last years of al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden.

By Diana Brown

In the United States, attorney-client privilege works to keep communications between an attorney and his or her client secret. But there are always exceptions to the rule.

By Oisin Curran

Where do we draw the line between interesting and appalling?

By Diana Brown

For the first 100 years, this amendment got little attention. But since the 20th century, Americans have been vigorously debating what exactly the "right to bear arms" means.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The conviction of 80-year-old Bill Cosby on aggravated indecent assault charges raises the question of how sentencing works in the case of an elderly defendant.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The Mann Act was passed in 1910 and even though it's been used legitimately, it's also been abused to nab men of color like Jack Johnson and Chuck Berry.

By John Donovan

High-profile cases over the past few years have shown the benefits — and pitfalls — of asking the public to report any suspicious activities they notice to the police. When does that tip over into racial or ethnic bias?

By Dave Roos

Does this mean that a website actually is responsible for the content created by that site's users?

By Jonathan Strickland

Drug courts have changed the lives of the thousands of people who've "graduated" through the program. But how exactly do the judges, rehab facilities and counselors facilitate these courts, and do they deter repeat offenders?

By John Perritano

Online ordination may be quick and easy and presiding at a friend's wedding may be fun and meaningful. But these marriages haven't always held up in court.

By Dave Roos

If you thought slavery ended with the ratification of the 13th amendment, think again. Slavery is flourishing across the globe.

By Diana Brown

Australia hasn't had a mass shooting in 22 years; the U.S. has had dozens during that same time.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Is there something about American suburban high school culture that makes it fertile ground for school shootings? One researcher says 'yes.'

By Dave Roos

The United States doesn't have a national ID, but it's slowly moving toward one with the REAL ID law. But what happens if a citizen doesn't have identification?

By John Perritano