Where Murderers Reign, It’s ‘Catch and Release’ for Low-Level Crimes
Baltimore police face new hurdles to make arrests on minor crimes. Critics say it will make things worse in the crime-plagued city.
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reforms
Lawmakers Seek Long-Term Limit on Governors’ Emergency Power
The legislative measures are aimed not simply at undoing mask mandates and capacity limits that have been common during the pandemic. Many proposals seek to fundamentally shift power away from governors and toward lawmakers the next time there is a virus outbreak, terrorist attack or natural disaster.
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California Eyes Three-Strikes Reform to Exclude Juvenile Offenders
The bill’s supporters say changes to the Golden State’s three-strikes scheme will alleviate chronic overcrowding in state prisons.
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Biden to Form Panel to Study Overhaul of High Court
Delivering on a campaign promise to look at Supreme Court reforms after three Trump appointments, the president is setting up a commission to examine potential changes including an expansion of the high court.
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Texas Republicans Forge Ahead With Voting Restrictions
Texas Democrats have railed against these GOP so-called election reform bills, deemed an emergency item this legislative session by Governor Greg Abbott, as a solution in search of a voting fraud problem.
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Out of Reach to Teens With a Past, ‘Dreamers’ Bill Draws Critics
The House legislation inspired a competing bill from Republicans that is focused first on border security before any outreach to the 2 million undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children.
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With Biden’s Backing, Dems Revive Bill to Overhaul Policing
Cheered on by President Joe Biden, House Democrats hustled Wednesday to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, able to avoid clashing with moderates in their own party who are wary of reigniting a debate they say hurt them during last fall’s election.
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House Tees Up Vote on Election and Police Reform Bills
The U.S. House of Representatives Monday approved debate parameters for two bills that could have sweeping effects on U.S. elections and the way police interact with citizens.
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Lam Backs Hong Kong Electoral Changes Excluding Opponents
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave her clear support Tuesday to electoral reforms that would likely further exclude opposition voices and cement Beijing’s control over the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s politics.
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Citizenship After 8 Years Is Promise of Democratic Immigration Bill
With no bridge to conservatives on enhanced security measures, the Democrats’ bill shoulders the new administration’s ambition to undo the protectionist policies of the last one.
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Judge Blocks Key Criminal Justice Reforms of LA District Attorney
A Los Angeles County judge chafed at District Attorney George Gascón’s “disregard” for a portion of California’s Three Strikes law and his plan to order his prosecutors to drop the pursuit of sentencing enhancements.
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Amazon Asks for Block on Shareholder Hate Speech Proposal
Seattle-based Amazon.com, Inc. has asked federal regulators to block multiple shareholder proposals addressing criticism of company stances on curbing hate speech, diversity in hiring, workplace conditions and surveillance technologies.
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Greek Students, Teachers Defy Weeklong Ban on Protests
Thousands of students and teachers held peaceful demonstrations in Greece’s two biggest cities Thursday against proposed education reforms, defying a weeklong ban on protests imposed as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
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Angry Farmers Storm India’s Red Fort in Huge Tractor Rally
Tens of thousands of protesting farmers drove long lines of tractors into India’s capital on Tuesday, breaking through police barricades, defying tear gas and storming the historic Red Fort as the nation celebrated Republic Day.
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California Senator Takes on Wrongful Convictions and Forensics in Reform Bill
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill to clarify standards for forensic science used during criminal trials while making it easier for those wrongfully convicted to seek justice.
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India’s Top Court Suspends Implementation of New Farm Laws
India’s top court on Tuesday temporarily put on hold the implementation of agricultural reform laws and ordered the creation of an independent committee of experts to negotiate with farmers who have been protesting against the legislation.
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LA County Prosecutors Sue DA Gascón Over Criminal Justice Reforms
A Los Angeles County judge on Wednesday ordered new District Attorney George Gascón to show why criminal justice reforms he enacted — which county prosecutors say conflict with state law — should not be blocked.
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Virginia Parole System Scrutinized After Covid Missteps
Virginia Republican legislators are pushing for new transparency requirements in the state’s parole system after the agency tasked with doling out the rare reward for good behavior made several missteps during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Legal Experts and Prosecutors Push for Nationwide Criminal-Justice Reforms
While criminal justice reform took a backseat to the pandemic in the 2020 elections, there’s consensus in statehouses across the country major changes are needed in policing and incarceration practices. A panel of experts Friday laid out their reform wish lists for 2021.
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San Francisco Voters Back Sheriff Reforms and ‘Overpaid CEO’ Tax
Breaking up a scandal-tainted city department, creating an oversight board for the sheriff’s department and taxing companies that pay CEOs far more than their workers are just a few of the ballot measures San Francisco voters approved this election year.
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