Courts & Law

California Death Penalty Measure Survives, With Limits

Emily Wells / Truthdig Aug 24, 2017 The voter-approved measure to speed up executions was upheld, while justices ruled that a five-year limit on appeals was not mandatory. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Life of Caliph Washington

By Colbert I. King Jul 15, 2017 In a country that expresses reverence for due process, a 17-year-old is arrested, put on trial, sentenced to death, then shuttled among death row cellblocks for 13 years, all for a crime he didn't commit. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Justice Neil Gorsuch Has Landed, to the Delight of the American Right

Bill Blum / Truthdig Jul 3, 2017 We can appreciate the full import of Gorsuch’s position on the Supreme Court only by analyzing his written orders and decisions. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Meet Neil Gorsuch, the New Antonin Scalia

Bill Blum / Truthdig Feb 1, 2017 President Trump has very likely found just the man to pick up where the late Supreme Court justice left off. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Can Trump’s Supreme Court Pick Be ‘Borked’?

Bill Blum / Truthdig Jan 10, 2017 The need for Democrats and the public to weigh in on the reshaping of the Supreme Court in 2017 will be as important as it was during the Reagan era. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

The 2016 SCOTUS Awards: A Look Back at the Year That Was

Bill Blum / Truthdig Dec 20, 2016 It’s time for Truthdig’s annual—and only partially tongue-in-cheek—review of the highlights, lowlights, pratfalls and pitfalls of the Supreme Court over the past 12 months. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

The Future of the Death Penalty in the United States

Staff / Truthdig Oct 5, 2016 On Thursday the Truthdig team sat down with Mike Farrell, acclaimed actor, activist and anti-death penalty advocate. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

In Some Cases of Elder Abuse, Banks Facilitated Financial Exploitation

By Colton Lochhead / Las Vegas Review-Journal Sep 24, 2016 Legal guardians appointed for the elderly don't always have their wards' interests in mind and are able to steal thousands with the support of judicial and economic systems. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Death to the Death Penalty in California

Marjorie Cohn / Truthdig Aug 26, 2016 Voters will be confronted with competing death penalty proposals on the November ballot: the praiseworthy Proposition 62 and the defective Proposition 66. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

The Right-Wing Legacy of Justice Lewis Powell, and What It Means for the Supreme Court Today

Bill Blum / Truthdig Aug 15, 2016 The late Justice Antonin Scalia may loom large in recent SCOTUS history, but another conservative member of the top court was hugely influential in his own right. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

The Psychopathology of Donald Trump

Bill Blum / Truthdig Jul 31, 2016 Does Donald Trump only say crazy things, or does he say crazy things because he actually is crazy? Does Donald Trump only say crazy things, or does he say crazy things because he actually is crazy? Dig deeper ( 12 Min. Read )

An Appeals Court Just Robbed Us of Our Cellphone Privacy

Staff / Truthdig Jun 1, 2016 Judges ruled that police and federal authorities are free to seek the location data of cellphone users from telecommunications companies without obtaining a search warrant. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )