On AlterNet: legal

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "legal"

Eyewitness Identification Has 50% Error Rate? How We Throw People in Prison Based on False ID

Patricia J. Williams, The Nation. January 23, 2012.

From Sacco and Vanzetti to Troy Davis, witnesses to crime scenes get it wrong too often. So why did the Supreme Court just make it harder to challenge such evidence in court?

How the Feds Fueled the Militarization of Police

Justin Elliott, Salon. December 26, 2011.

Billions in post-9/11 taxpayer dollars have paid for combat-style gear on display in the Occupy crackdowns.

Why Jurors Should Refuse to Convict Drug Arrestees

Tony Newman, AlterNet. December 22, 2011.

Jurors are not required to enforce unjust laws, and can legally refuse to convict a person, even if he or she appears to be guilty.

Czech Republic Moves to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Phillip Smith, Drug War Chronicle. September 28, 2011.

By the end of the year, the Czech Republic's Department of Health will submit to parliament an amended law removing marijuana from the list of banned prescription substances.

Budget Compromise Slashes Funds for Organizations That Help Poor Deal With Predatory Lending, Domestic Violence, Foreclosures

Marian Wang, ProPublica. May 16, 2011.

Providers of civil legal services to the poor are having to furlough their staff, triage their clients, and turn away more people in need.

Why Becoming a Legal Immigrant Is Next to Impossible

Mari Herreras, Tucson Weekly. September 5, 2010.

Many wrongly assume there is a process you can easily go through to become legal. In reality, our immigration system is a bureaucratic nightmare.

My Big Phat Same-Sex Prison Wedding

Dawn Davis II, New America Media. January 11, 2010.

Dawn Davis married her lover in prison because she was afraid that by the time she left prison, same-sex marriages would be illegal.

How America Holds Court: The Seedy Dealings Underpinning Our Legal System

Amy Bach, Metropolitan Books. November 2, 2009.

It's getting harder and harder to exercise your legal rights if you aren't well to do. Where's the justice in that?

Should We Ban Tobacco?

Tony Newman, CNN. August 2, 2009.

Cigarettes kill more people than cocaine, heroin, meth and all other illegal drugs combined. Imagine if they were illegal.

Megacorp Columbia Forces Frightening Legal Precedent

Annalee Newitz, AlterNet. June 19, 2007.

With a new lawsuit against file sharers, megacorp Columbia is attempting to do nothing short of changing the way evidence is gathered via the legal discovery process.