Legal System

Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to reinstate mandatory minimum prison sentences. But do they really deter future criminals, or do they proportionately affect certain groups instead?

By John Perritano

Research shows that nicotine residue lingering in furniture and carpets may be hazardous to kids. Could that mean legal action for unsuspecting homeowners and tenants?

By Dave Roos

The TSA can open your checked bags at an airport. But how deep can they dig into electronic devices they find inside?

By Patrick J. Kiger

The divisive serial comma finally got its day in court—it was glorious.

By Laurie L. Dove

Antarctica belongs to no one nation. So what happens in the event of a crime?

By Dave Roos

While the press often gets a beating from the public and politicians, journalists have brought to national attention lots of issues that would otherwise remain hidden.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The U.S. has thousands of prisoners in solitary confinement. But experts are now saying it does more harm than good.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

If someone is insulting you or your family and you clock 'em, can you get away with it, legally?

By Dave Roos

Companies are actually hoping you won't read these 8,000-word documents before you click "agree." But why?

By Dave Roos

According to new research, shootings pass from person to person like a contagious disease.

By Yves Jeffcoat

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.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

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.

By John Donovan

Some serial killers have murdered more than 100 people. Who are these people, and why did they do it?

By Patrick J. Kiger

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?

By Robert Lamb

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.

By Ben Bowlin

With more drug companies refusing to allow their drugs to be used in executions, states have turned to riskier pharmaceuticals.

By Dave Roos

Bigoted requests aren't as rare as you might think in hospitals. It's also not rare for hospitals to accommodate such requests. Why?

By Julia Layton

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.

By Julia Layton

It's not quite what you'd expect, is it?

By Cristen Conger

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.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

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.

By Chris Opfer

We explore the economics and ethics of prison-made goods.

By Dave Roos

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.

By Cherise Threewitt

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.

By Cherise Threewitt

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?

By Alia Hoyt