AltWeeklies Wire
West Memphis Three are Freednew

Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin were released from custody Friday in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The three men plead guilty in exchange being released for time served.
The Memphis Flyer |
Flyer Staff |
08-19-2011 |
Crime & Justice
Nothing is Sacred in the Wacked Legal World of Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomasnew
Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio increasingly have become addicted to launching investigations against any and all political enemies, real and invented. It's not just about ACLU attorneys, illegal immigrants, electoral opponents, and newspaper publishers anymore.
Phoenix New Times |
Paul Rubin |
12-29-2009 |
Immigration
Philly's Broken Justicenew
If you haven't been reading the Philadelphia Inquirer's series on our broken judicial system, you really should: it lays out in excruciating detail the failures of our "system".
Philadelphia Weekly |
Brendan Skwire |
12-22-2009 |
Fashion
Water Rights: An Activist Faces Prison after Refusing his Sentence for 'Littering'new
On Dec. 4, a year after he was cited for littering on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, activist Walt Staton was back in federal court, because he refused to pick up garbage.
Tucson Weekly |
Tim Vanderpool |
12-10-2009 |
Immigration
Will North Carolina Resume Executions or Keep the Ban?new
Now that the legal battle over a doctor's role in death row executions is nearing a conclusion, the issue of capital punishment in North Carolina is about to land in the laps of the 2009 General Assembly and Governor-elect Bev Perdue.
INDY Week |
Bob Geary |
12-04-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Ronald Hinton May Have Confessed to Rape and Murder, but Did He Really Do It?new
The confession of Hinton, who was convicted of raping a murdering a child, outweighed indications that he might not have done it.
Baltimore City Paper |
Van Smith |
08-05-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Divorce, Connecticut-Stylenew
Our court battles are long, nasty and expensive. Is there a better way?
New Haven Advocate |
Daniel D'Ambrosio |
07-29-2008 |
Culture
Can Philly's Bold Experiment in Preventing Foreclosures Work?new
With the foreclosure crisis in full swing, Judge C. Darnell Jones issued an order declaring that before any foreclosure goes to sale, a representative for the lender must sit down with the borrower in court. He also postponed all sales of owner-occupied houses scheduled for April or May until July. The order immediately drew national attention, and last week, the experiment began.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
06-24-2008 |
Housing & Development
Why Jim DeRogatis Pleaded the Fifth in the R. Kelly Trialnew

What possible crime could the Chicago Sun-Times music critic have been concealing when he repeatedly -- 15 times in all -- answered questions put to him in court by invoking his constitutional protection against self-incrimination?
Chicago Reader |
Michael Miner |
06-16-2008 |
Music
Tags: journalism, media, Chicago, law, courts, R. Kelly, Fifth Amendment, Jim DeRogatis, reporter's privilege
What Happens to the Mentally Ill in the Justice System is Just Crazynew
In Colorado, gaping holes in the so-called safety net have made police, courts and emergency rooms the first and last line of contact with people who may be a danger to themselves or others. Too often, the care they receive is perfunctory -- a 72-hour crisis hold, a few pills, a referral to a mental-health center -- with little or no followup.
Westword |
Alan Prendergast |
06-02-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Judge Ana Gardiner's Alleged Social Relationships Raise Troubling Questionsnew
The allegations of questionable social relationships involve a defense attorney and two assistant state attorneys. If proven true, the revelations could result in some criminal cases getting overturned -- including a first-degree homicide case tried last year.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Bob Norman |
04-29-2008 |
Politics
Convicted Felon Claims His Teardrop Tattoo Helped Put Him Awaynew

In an ultimately failed appeal, Keith Antoine Jackson Jackson claimed his constitutional right to be presumed innocent at trial was undermined because a teardrop tattoo can signify that the wearer has killed someone.
Washington City Paper |
Brendan Smith |
04-24-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Where Do We Go From Here?new
Ventura County grapples with education, diversity and hatred in the aftermath of the classroom murder of 15-year-old Larry King.
Ventura County Reporter |
Bill Lascher |
02-21-2008 |
LGBT
Tags: Education, crime, murder, LGBT, acceptance, courts, hate, prejudice, school shooting, gay & lesbian issues
Man Serving Time May Not Be the Silver-Gun Rapistnew
A New York City police officer was charged, and acquitted, of two assaults that have some similarities to those committed by the silver-gun rapist more than a decade ago. (Second of two parts)
Long Island Press |
Amy Fisher |
09-24-2004 |
Crime & Justice
The Thong Show: Defense Leaks Information in Kobe Bryant Trialnew
A victims' advocate believes that attorneys for Kobe Bryant have been trying to taint the jury pool and discredit the young woman who accused the basketball player of rape by putting incendiary and inappropriate material into pre-trial motions, which are public in Colorado.