New Year Will Bring Criminal Justice Reform to New York
Starting New Year’s Day 2020, New York State’s criminal justice system will look a little different.
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reforms
Virginia Attorney General Shoots Down Gun Sanctuary Laws
In a rebuke to nearly 100 cities and counties, Virginia’s Democratic attorney general said in an advisory opinion Friday that local pro-Second Amendment laws declaring an exemption from statewide gun safety measures are invalid.
Read moreClean-Slate Revamp, Felon Voting Rights Made Law in NJ
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill Wednesday morning to revamp the state’s system of expunging old criminal records, plus another that restores voting rights for those on parole or probation.
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Bloomberg Calls for Assault-Weapons Ban and Gun Age Limits
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg unveiled his plan for gun control Thursday afternoon,, calling for a total ban on assault weapons and an age limit of 21 for most purchases.
Read moreParole
A federal class action filed Wednesday claims that California has failed to carry out a package of reforms passed in 2017 that utilized parole consideration for those convicted of nonviolent crimes.
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Appeals Court Rules California Must Restructure Parole Process
California’s struggle to implement sweeping criminal justice reforms continued Tuesday as a state appeals court ruled that corrections officials’ handling of early parole requests by inmates doing time for nonviolent crimes violates a 2016 voter-approved measure.
Read moreDemocratic Candidates Vow Progressive Change At California Convention
A host of 2020 presidential candidates promised California Democratic Convention attendees Saturday they would back progressive reforms, including citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a ban on assault weapons and a single-payer health care option.
Read moreStakeholders Tackle Overhaul of New York Courts
Lawmakers, judges, lawyers and litigants agree: New York state has one of the largest court systems in the world but one of the most complex and cumbersome trial procedures in the country.
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With Democrats in Charge, Virginia Lawmakers Eye Gun Control
After winning control of both legislative chambers last week, Virginia Democrats have set their sights on ending the so-called “gun show loophole” that allows for firearms transactions without background checks.
Read moreChicago Police Chief to Retire After Three Years on the Job
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson delivered an emotional retirement announcement Thursday after serving for three years as the Windy City’s top cop.
Read moreGerman Court Slaps Down Harshest Sanctions Against Jobseekers
Germany’s top court ruled Tuesday that sanctioning jobseekers deemed uncooperative in the search for work was illegal in some cases, in a blow to the controversial unemployment reforms rammed through by Gerhard Schroeder’s government in 2005.
Read moreTrump Touts Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform in South Carolina
Speaking at a forum on criminal-justice reform in South Carolina, President Donald Trump said Friday that a sweeping overhaul he signed into law last year was the result of putting “the interests of our citizens before the interest of any political party.”
Read moreBeto O’Rourke Takes Aim at Trump With Proposed Reforms
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke on Tuesday proposed executive branch reforms to limit pardons and strengthen enforcement of the U.S. Constitution’s anti-corruption provisions to prevent abuses of presidential power, which is central to Democrats’ impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Read morePrisons Chief Pledges to Implement Criminal-Justice Reform
The head of the Bureau of Prisons on Thursday reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to implementing the landmark criminal-justice bill signed into law last year, even as reform advocates raised concerns about how some of the law’s key provisions are taking shape.
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California Governor Signs Bevy of Criminal Justice Bills
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a flurry of criminal justice reforms Tuesday evening, including measures that bar law enforcement from using facial recognition software in body cameras, speed up the expungement process and end certain sentencing enhancements.
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California Bars ‘Pay-for-Delay’ Pharmaceutical Industry Practice
Drug companies will no longer be allowed to pay competitors to keep generic drugs off the market under a pharmaceutical industry reform bill signed Monday by California Governor Gavin Newsom
Read moreRikers Critics Want More Teeth in Jail-Replacement Plan
Several New York City councilmembers are expected to introduce bills Wednesday related to replacing the notorious Rikers Island penal complex, and they’re already facing pushback.
Read moreWisconsin Democrats Roll Out Red-Flag Gun Bill
Amplifying the call from Badger State liberals for stricter gun control measures, Wisconsin Democrats introduced new red-flag legislation Thursday with the backing of the governor and state attorney general, but the measure is unlikely to pass the GOP-controlled Legislature.
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Democrats Renew Calls for Gun Measures at Presidential Forum
Three members of the crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates continued their party’s call Tuesday for swift action and new restrictions on guns in the wake of last month’s massacre in El Paso, Texas, where a shooter killed 22 people and injured dozens of others.
Read moreBill to Restore Vote to California Parolees Clears Assembly Hurdle
Thousands of parolees could regain the right to vote under a criminal-justice bill approved Thursday by California lawmakers.
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