The state of California legalized the sale and cultivation of marijuana for recreational use on Monday, but the United States government still classifies weed as a controlled substance alongside drugs such as heroine and LSD. There are eight border patrol checkpoints in California, and according to the assistant chief of the Border Patrol’s San Diego […]
Charges have been dropped against a Black Texas student who was arrested by police officers while mowing lawns. Marlin Gipson, 20, was originally charged with failure to identify to the police and evading arrest after an officer stopped him while he was handing out business cards for his lawn care service. A friend of Gipson […]
In a “broken windows” fashion, the Chicago Police Department sustains a gang database of its residents. They say this is in efforts to stay ahead on crime. They also seek to punish those on the list to the fullest extent of the law when the opportunity presents itself. As of last week, CPD and it’s […]
HBO’s The Wire, which many consider to be one of the best television series of all-time, was a certifiable masterpiece. Not only did it offer never-before-seen perspective into the lives of its mostly black characters, but it painted a vivid picture of how the legal system operates from top to bottom. Everyone along the chain […]
The New York Times reports that Justice Department prosecutors are expected to recommend that no civil rights charges be brought against Darren Wilson. Darren Wilson, a former police officer  in Ferguson, MO, shot and killed Michael Brown in August. No criminal charges were brought against him either.
Five people who were arrested during protests in Ferguson, Missouri is suing the city’s police department for $40 million. The federal lawsuit accuses police of using “wanton and excessive force” and treating citizens “as if they were war combatants.”
A jail in New Albany, IN is facing a lawsuit after video surveillance of several police officers’ treatment of a woman in their custody was released. According to attorney Laura Landenwich, her client Tabitha Gentry was stripped naked and left for hours after Gentry was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement. Landenwich does not believe that Gentry’s experience […]
Members of Arkansas’ Supreme Court tossed out a judge’s ruling to strike down the state’s voter ID law on Wednesday. In a 5-2 ruling, justices vacated the Pulaski County judge’s decision that the law violates the state’s constitution.Â
Last week, we told the story of Earl Sampson, a convenience store worker based in Miami Gardens. Sampson has been arrested at least 62 times by Miami Gardens police for simply “trespassing” at his place of employment. The situation got so bad that Sampson’s employer who owns the store, installed surveillance cameras to capture the injustice. […]
Florida legislators advanced changes to the state’s controversial Stand Your Ground law amid series of protests following the acquittal of George Zimmerman. The current law allows citizens to use “deadly force” without trying to retreat if they feel their lives are being threatened.
Due to an enlarged heart, Anthony Stokes, a 15-year-old boy, may die in six months or fewer if he doesn’t receive a transplant. might not receive it due to, according to members of his family, his low grades and past trouble with the law.
A great article in Ebony Magazine delves into the much-talked about Trayvon’s Law; legislation proposed and currently being fought for by the NAACP, the Dream Defenders, and many others.
