Legal System
The Legal System Channel features information related to how society deals with crime, criminals and law enforcement. Learn more about how governments operate their legal systems.
Gun Violence Spreads Through Social Networks Like an Epidemic, Study Shows
According to new research, shootings pass from person to person like a contagious disease.
Good Samaritan laws are intended to protect you from a lawsuit if you help strangers during an emergency. But they may not protect you in every situation.
Should you ever find yourself in the middle of a protest, you're going to want to avoid being targeted by one of these 'less-lethal' weapons.
Some serial killers have murdered more than 100 people. Who are these people, and why did they do it?
Thousands of Saudi women signed a petition that seeks the end of the country's male guardianship system. How does that system affect Saudi women now?
Inmates have been using cigarettes as currency for more than a century in U.S. prisons. So what's behind the switch to ramen cups at one prison?
The Supreme Court has ruled in a big Fourth Amendment case that under certain circumstances, evidence found during an illegal stop could be used in legal proceedings.
The nose knows, apparently. A new study suggests smells associated with emotional events like a crime could be just as reliable as eyewitness accounts. So, nosewitnesses?
A former undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security explains how terrorists could use virtual reality to train for strikes.
With more drug companies refusing to allow their drugs to be used in executions, states have turned to riskier pharmaceuticals.
Bigoted requests aren't as rare as you might think in hospitals. It's also not rare for hospitals to accommodate such requests. Why?
After nearly two decades as a judge, the Supreme Court nominee's record offers few clues as to where he stands on many social issues.
It's not quite what you'd expect, is it?
Free speech is one of America's most fiercely guarded freedoms, but that doesn't mean that citizens can say whatever they like with no threat of punishment. In several cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of limitations.
California Released Thousands of Prisoners Early — Guess How That Turned Out
From 2011 to 2013, California released 33,000 prisoners early. One study measures the impact non-violent prisoner "realignment" has had on crimes rates in the state.
You've no doubt heard about Sean Penn's meeting with the infamous Mexican drug kingpin. Now you can check out the Rolling Stone video interview for yourself.
UCLA Report: Murder Rates Shorten Life Expectancy Among Mexican Men
Homicides due to organized crime are still a big problem in Mexico. The problem is so far-ranging that it has decreased how long Mexican men can expect to live.
What's the short-selling, price-gouging, trash-talking young pharma exec done now?
After you get a speeding ticket, you've probably mumbled (after the police officer left, of course) something about being stopped to satisfy a quota. Well, you're probably right. Lots of police departments have speeding ticket quotas.
After you get a speeding ticket, you've probably mumbled (after the police officer left, of course) something about all this being some kind of racket. Well, you're probably right. Many police departments depend on traffic ticket revenue.
This tragic cold case occurred during the Eisenhower administration, but was not solved until the Obama administration. Why did it take 55 years, and what finally cracked it?
Johnny Law has some new flying toys that could come in handy in the fight against crime.
The next time you interact with a police officer, you might be staring at the eye of a video camera. About a third of U.S. police departments (and more internationally) have issued body cameras to their patrol officers. Here's what you need to know.
Ever wonder why you've been called for jury duty four times while your friend has never got a summons? Are you on some secret list of the "ready and available"? We'll give you the scoop.
Few incidents shaped the U.S. civil rights movement more than the brutal death of Emmett Till. What other murders have sent shock waves through the public psyche?
