Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived an execution attempt after a day of last-minute legal battles that saw a federal appeals court stay reversed by the Supreme Court, followed by a failed lethal injection that left her alive after two doses. Governor Bill Lee subsequently halted remaining executions for the year and ordered an outside review.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday banning local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks to people. The ban takes effect next year and runs until 2030, coming weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved to equip its officers with the devices.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills into law Friday that toughen penalties for repeat DUI drivers in California, including Braun's Law. The four bills would turn some misdemeanor offenses into felonies and increase time penalties for repeat offenders.
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the STRONGER Act, bipartisan legislation that would update and reauthorize the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners program to reduce recidivism and address addiction in prisons.
A Texas appeals court rejected a lower court's finding that Melissa Lucio, who has spent 18 years on death row for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, is innocent. The case has attracted bipartisan calls for her release based on new evidence suggesting the child's death was accidental.
David Huerta spent time in a Los Angeles jail last summer before charges were dropped, highlighting the lasting impact of wrongful detention even after exoneration. The case illustrates how the criminal justice system can inflict irreversible harm on individuals and families regardless of ultimate legal outcomes.
President Donald Trump granted clemency to 30 people this week, including former Philadelphia union leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, whose six-year sentence was commuted, and Emory Jones, a longtime associate of rapper Jay-Z. The clemency grants also benefited drug offenders.
President Donald Trump commuted the six-year prison sentence of former Philadelphia union business manager John 'Johnny Doc' Dougherty, who was convicted of embezzlement. The commutation also releases Dougherty from $1.6 million in restitution obligations.
Josh Smith, a pardoned drug offender who served as the No. 2 official at the federal Bureau of Prisons, abruptly announced his departure from the agency on Monday without providing a reason. His exit marks a significant shakeup for the federal prison system after a year of changes.
Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized a rule allowing individuals barred from owning firearms due to felony convictions to apply to have their gun rights reinstated, marking a significant shift in federal firearms policy.
German authorities say the suspect in a deadly attack near Berlin's Pride festival had recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS before driving a van into crowds and going on a knife rampage. The 21-year-old suspect, Abdul Ballout, was shot dead by police during arrest and had been released from detention in May despite previous ISIS-related convictions, prompting calls for tighter terrorism laws.
The killing of Lyhanna, an 11-year-old schoolgirl from Fleurance in southwest France, has triggered nationwide outrage and tens of thousands of protesters demanding government action after police failed to question the suspected killer about previous incidents, exposing systemic failures in France's judicial system.
The death of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who died from a knife wound while reportedly restrained by police, has triggered intense debate in Britain and Ireland about racism and policing. The incident has drawn comparisons to George Floyd's 2020 death in the United States, with political divisions emerging over its significance.
Cuba released the names of thousands of prisoners covered by a previously announced amnesty as the government engages in tense negotiations with the United States over various disputes, including the issue of political prisoners.
Brazil's Congress voted to override President Lula's veto of legislation that would dramatically reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro's 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. The bill now awaits supreme court confirmation.
