Criminal Justice
A Chicago Attorney Is Getting Justice For Hundreds Of Wrongfully Convicted People All At Once
Josh Tepfer has helped exonerate 288 people, many of whom were convicted based on patterns of misconduct by corrupt police or officials.
A Man Used Instagram To Target Women And Teens Whom He Then Raped And Tried To Extort, Los Angeles Police Said
Michael Neal Watson Jr. of Los Angeles faces 16 felony charges that include rape, assault, robbery, and attempted extortion.
Crime Researchers Say Political Candidates Are Ignoring Evidence As The Midterm Campaigns Heat Up
“Tough on crime” rhetoric may be effective for political campaigns, but researchers and experts told BuzzFeed News it doesn’t match up with reality.
The First San Francisco Cop To Face Charges For Killing Someone While On Duty Still Hasn’t Gone To Trial
The former police officer accused of killing Keita O’Neil hasn’t even faced a preliminary hearing nearly two years after being charged with manslaughter.
“Can You Imagine Waking Up Next To Her Every Day?”: A Chicago Judge Disparaged An Attorney On A Hot Mic
The recording, the lawyer said, “shows what some of us already know: that there's this chumminess that goes on behind closed doors and makes you wonder whether cases are being heard on the merits or for some other reason.”
Jail Time For An “Imaginary Crime”: It’s Almost Impossible To Overdose Just By Touching Fentanyl, But People Are Being Locked Up For It Anyway
“People should not be in jail for imaginary crimes,” one expert said.
A Black Man Charged With Murder Said He Shot At A Group Of White Teens in Self-Defense
For Kyle Rittenhouse, George Zimmerman, and others in high-profile homicide cases, claims of self-defense led to acquittals. Will the same be true for a young Black man who killed a white teen in Georgia?
A Police Officer Killed Jacob Harris, But His Unarmed Friends Were Charged With His Murder
A little-known legal theory allows prosecutors to file murder charges against people who are unarmed or not even at the scene when police officers kill somebody.
These Are The Life Lessons An Inmate Said He Learned From Photography
"Art as pure escapism is valuable, but there is a point where it becomes delusion."
Jussie Smollett Said He Didn't Fake A Hate Crime Against Himself
"The sad part is that there is an example being made of someone who did not do what they’re being accused of.”
Alice Johnson, Whose Sentence Was Commuted By Trump, Gave An Uplifting Speech About Criminal Justice Reform At The RNC
“We’ve all made mistakes, and none of us want to be defined forever based on our worst decision.”
"I Had Hit The Lottery”: Inmates Desperate To Get Out Of Prisons Hit Hard By The Coronavirus Are Racing To Court
With little legal precedent for a global pandemic, judges are deciding on a case-by-case basis how to weigh the risks of COVID-19 in prisons.
Top Democrats Are Refusing To “Defund The Police.” Activists Fear The Police Killings Won’t Stop.
Reform leaders are frustrated with Democrats who have pushed aside the “defund the police” call that’s central to protests against police brutality after George Floyd’s killing.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund Raised Over $30 Million After George Floyd’s Death. Now It’s A Target.
The small nonprofit that raised millions during protests in Minneapolis has struggled to spend all of its new money and is now being attacked on the right.
Black People Are Tired Of Inaction Against Police Brutality. They’re Watching Biden To See If He’ll Turn The Tide.
Activists and Democrats say the protests against police violence are a pivotal moment for Joe Biden's presidential campaign.
A Chicago Man Who Claims He Was Framed For Murder Will Finally Get His Day In Court
Roosevelt Myles, who was convicted of a murder in 1996, was awarded a new hearing in 2000 but didn’t get it until now.
Opinion: We Want To End The School-To-Prison Pipeline. 2020 Democrats Are Starting To Listen.
Last week Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren engaged with young leaders about the school-to-prison pipeline. Who else will step up?
Opinion: I Was In Jail For Seven Years For A Crime I Didn’t Commit. I'm Owed More Than My Freedom.
It's not enough to free the innocent. We must rebuild the lives that are shattered by a broken system.
Kamala Harris’s New Plan To End Mass Incarceration Leans On Her Past As A Prosecutor
Kamala Harris’s new criminal justice plan hits progressive goals, while not exactly shying away from her past.
Joe Biden’s Time As A Public Defender Was A Brief Line On His Résumé. Now It’s A Virtue Signal For His Campaign.
Biden has turned his long-forgotten legal work in Delaware into a response to Kamala Harris and other critics questioning his dedication to social justice issues.
Tiffany Cabán Says Criminal Justice Reform Could Improve Public Safety
Cabán, a candidate for district attorney in Queens, told BuzzFeed News’ AM to DM that there are “so many better ways to have better public safety outcomes rather than continuing to criminalize poverty.”
Young People Who Can't Pay Court Fees Are Getting Trapped In The Criminal Justice System
Children across the country aren’t able to leave the juvenile criminal justice system when administrative fines and fees pile up. A new bill in Congress would end this.
California's Governor Thinks Democratic Presidential Candidates Should Commit To Taking Federal Prisoners Off Death Row
"That should be part of the conversation of a presidential damn campaign," Gavin Newsom told BuzzFeed News' Profile.
Kim Kardashian Will Reportedly Pay 5 Years' Rent For A Former Inmate After He Was Denied Housing
"Kim did not do this for attention or publicity, but I had to share it ... My heart is about to burst with happiness."
People Are Mad About Footage Showing Danny Lim Being Detained By Police
Danny Lim, 74, received an infringement notice for offensive behaviour.
A Man Charged With Sending Suspicious Packages To Embassies In Melbourne, Sydney And Canberra Has Faced Court
Police will allege that he sent 38 parcels to consulates and embassies in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney.
The First Step Act Is Good News For Some, But It Overlooks Women
Reforms that don't address the distinct ways prisons fail women mean the population of incarcerated women will keep rising.
Judges Warn Video Hearings Could Lead To Witnesses Being Coached Off Camera And Footage Appearing On YouTube
Exclusive: A leaked report seen by BuzzFeed News reveals district judges warned of the risk of "the likes of Tommy Robinson" posting videos or broadcasting live on social media.
This Leaked Document Shows Judges Are Furious About The State Of The Courts
Exclusive: “The reality is that there has been ... a haemorrhaging of experienced staff, a serious decline in staff and judicial morale, delays in all aspects of process and court systems that are even more broken.”
Donald Trump Has Changed His Mind On Criminal Justice, But It Might Not Be Enough For Republicans In Congress
Trump is endorsing a plan to soften some criminal sentences, something pushed by Jared Kushner and opposed by former attorney general Jeff Sessions.
A Judge Wanted To Give A Sex Offender A Second Chance. Prosecutors Want Him In Prison.
In an unusual legal move, these lawyers are trying to bring #MeToo into a sex offender’s sentencing.
Opinion: Children Are Being Sentenced To Die In Prison. We Can Vote To Stop It.
Your district attorney has more power over who gets jailed than judges, juries, or even the police. And you elect them.
This Man Has Been in Australia For 44 Years. The Government Wants To Send Him To New Zealand.
“This process is just killing me inside — it’s wrecked our little family,” said his partner of 14 years.
Aboriginal People Will Be Able To Access Koori Court More Easily After A Supreme Court Win
A landmark decision found judges must consider cultural rights when hearing Koori Court transfer applications.
The Complicated Politics Of Kamala Harris's First Book
“Virtually all law-abiding citizens feel safer when they see officers walking a beat,” Harris writes in her 2009 book.
A Criminal Justice Activist Just Beat The Lead Prosecutor In Ferguson
Wesley Bell, a Ferguson City Council member and criminal justice advocate, defeated St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch in a Democratic primary Tuesday.
Another Guevara Defendant's Murder Case Was Tossed
Robert Bouto, convicted of a 1993 murder, is the ninth defendant to see his murder charges dismissed since a BuzzFeed News investigation into retired detective Reynaldo Guevara’s alleged misconduct. Also on Monday, another exonerated Guevara defendant filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Chicago.
A Transgender Woman In A Missouri Prison Will Be Allowed Life-Saving Health Care
"It’s like you’re drowning and somebody throws you the life vest."
Advocates Who Want To Change Criminal Justice Are Rallying Around These Republican Governors
Justice Action Network is featuring Iowa's Kim Reynolds and Kentucky's Matt Bevin in new videos meant to promote the nonprofit organization's agenda.
Is Cory Booker The Anne Hathaway Of Politics?
The Senator told BuzzFeed's Another Round that he'd eat a penguin and sang some Les Mis.
Police Forces Are Sending A Message To Black Suburban Residents: You’re Not Wanted
Places like Troy used to be lily-white, and most of their police departments still are. That’s a problem for the black and brown people moving from big cities like LA and New York in search of quieter places to raise families.
A Trump Supreme Court Short-Lister Backs Up Sessions’ Latest Criminal Justice Move
Judge William Pryor, a federal appeals judge with longstanding ties to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, told BuzzFeed News that he thought Sessions’ new charging policy could make the system more fair.
This Man Is Finally Getting Out Of Prison For Murders Someone Else Confessed To
Calvin Buari served 22 years for killing two Bronx men, even though someone else confessed to the crime. Witnesses said they came forward after reading a BuzzFeed News investigation into the case.
How A Couch Rental, Gone Wrong, Can Land You In Handcuffs
Rental theft laws mean that missing payments without returning the item can become a criminal offense.
White House Sends Jared Kushner To Meet With Top Senators On Improving The Criminal Justice System
President Trump's son-in-law is meeting with Sens. Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin as part of an effort to revive — and sort out their differences on — a bill designed to reduce mass incarceration and recidivism.
He Says His Lie Sent A Man To Prison For Life. Coming Forward Could Put Him Behind Bars
More wrongful convictions are being overturned than ever before, thanks in part to witnesses coming forward. But in New Orleans, recanting witnesses are facing perjury charges, creating a chilling effect that could keep innocent people behind bars.
Ava DuVernay Shows The Humanity In An Inhumane System
With a tender portrait of one family in Queen Sugar and a searing indictment of the prison system in 13th, DuVernay deepens her career-long commitment to addressing injustice.
The Little-Known Law That Put A Man Behind Bars Twice For The Same Shooting
Carlos Carromero served his time for shooting and paralyzing a man in 1984. Thirty years later, the assault charge became a homicide.
Is This Man Smart Enough To Face The Death Penalty?
Researchers say that Texas has invented a nonscientific diagnosis based on a crude stereotype in order to execute people with an intellectual disability.
Facebook Says Emergency Procedures In Place For Account Takedowns
Law enforcement can ask Facebook to disable a person’s account, but it’s unclear how many times the social network has complied.
ACLU's $72 Million Incarceration Project Abruptly Shifts Tactics And Leaders
Two years after launching the biggest campaign in its history, the ACLU is quietly changing strategy.
70,000 Convicted Felons Have Sued To Get Their Voting Rights Back
A class-action lawsuit filed Friday aims to restore the voting rights of people in Louisiana who are out of prison on parole or probation.
Canada's Prison Watchdog Compared Indigenous Youth Incarceration To Residential Schools
"We've gone from one form of institutional control to another. And it seems that there's a relationship."
Almost 40 Prisoner Deaths Linked To Legal Highs In Two Years
The Prisons Ombudsman said legal highs had triggered psychotic episodes and exacerbated mental health problems in some inmates, who then killed themselves or someone else.
Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights To More Than 200,000 Felons
Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order on Friday restoring voting rights of felons who have completed their sentence.
This Man Was Freed After 10 Years in Prison Because Police Lied About A Camera
Chicago police testified there was no surveillance camera in the alley where they arrested Jermaine Walker — but there was. After 10 years in prison, Walker was set free. UPDATE: The Circuit Court of Cook County has granted Walker's certificate of innocence.
White Ex-Trooper Pleads Guilty To Shooting Unarmed Black Man After Traffic Stop
Sean Groubert could spend up to 20 years in prison for the non-fatal shooting of Levar Jones, which was caught in a video that shocked many across the U.S.
Koch Continues To Push Criminal Justice Bill As Momentum Fades On Hill
At a winter meeting of the Koch brothers' sprawling political network, Charles Koch continued to press for rolling back tough-on-crime laws, despite the decreasing odds of movement on Capitol Hill this year and new fissures in the bipartisan coalition of criminal justice groups.
"Don't Ever Tell Us What You Saw": The Story Behind The Deadliest Prison Bus Crash In Texas History
In January 2015, a prison transport carrying 15 men — three guards and 12 chained-together inmates — ran off the road. It was one of the bloodiest days in the history of Texas prisons.
Meet The Ex-Convict President Obama Will Host At The State Of The Union
Obama’s last State of the Union will feature talk of criminal justice, prison and reducing recidivism rates.
How Contact Lenses Plucked From A Corpse Helped Close This Murder Case
A North Carolina murder case turned on contact lenses buried with a victim. A forensic scientist now reveals the gruesome methods he used to prove the evidence was real.
Study Of Houston Robberies Finds That Eyewitnesses Are Surprisingly Reliable
When trying to pick out a suspect for the first time, eyewitnesses are often accurate — if they say they're sure. So finds a new study of 348 robbery cases in Houston, Texas.
Mental Illness Cost Eddie Davison His Freedom — Will It Also Cost Him $2 Million?
Locked up in a psych ward under the false premise that he was a convicted sex offender, Eddie Davison sued New York state for false imprisonment. Now the state is charging him $2 million.
Clinton Proposes Reducing Mandatory Minimums For Nonviolent Drug Offenders
Similar to a bipartisan criminal justice legislation in Congress, Hillary Clinton is proposing reductions in mandatory minimum sentences, making those changes retroactive, and expanding federal judge's discretion in sentencing.
Sanders To Clinton: Without Marijuana, It's Not Criminal Justice Reform
Hillary Clinton has renounced the tough-on-crime policies of the '90s, but Bernie Sanders' campaign says changes to the criminal justice system must include marijuana legalization and banning the death penalty, two issues Clinton isn't willing to follow him on.
Clinton Will Start Rolling Out Criminal Justice Agenda
Clinton's campaign will begin to release its position on criminal justice, starting with an appearance in Atlanta Friday, a campaign aide told BuzzFeed News.
Obama Finds Unlikely Policy Allies At Police Gathering
A room full of the world's top brass enthusiastically cheered for gun control and changes to U.S. criminal justice policy at a Tuesday address.
After A Man Died While In Jail For Traffic Tickets, ACLU Calls For Federal Probe
After a man’s death during a 30-day jail sentence that BuzzFeed News found may not even have been legal, the civil rights group calls on federal authorities to investigate.
Was This Man Who Died In A Michigan Jail Illegally Incarcerated?
David Stojcevski died in a Michigan jail after being sentenced to serve 30 days for unpaid traffic tickets. Documents obtained by BuzzFeed News suggest that the judge who locked him up violated the law by failing to assess if he was too poor to pay his fines.
Senators Reach Deal On Criminal Justice Bill To Reduce Some Mandatory Minimums
A group of Republican and Democrat senators announced a long-awaited deal on a broad criminal justice bill Thursday. Advocates didn't get the cuts in mandatory minimums they were hoping for but are still supporting the bill.
Bipartisan Criminal Justice Coalition Is Bigger And Ready For Congress To Come Back
The NAACP is joining a roster of high-profile, diverse, bipartisan groups like the ACLU, FreedomWorks, and more to make a concerted push for criminal justice legislation.
One Man's Effort To Escape New Orleans' Cycle Of Poverty And Incarceration
Jessie was born in jail, grew up in the projects, and spent time behind bars as an adult. Now, he hopes his budding coffee business can keep him on track.
Clinton Answers Criminal Justice Questions From People Who Don’t Remember The 1980s
The young man who asked Hillary Clinton about criminal justice in Nevada on Tuesday shares something with many of the activists who have disrupted politicians this summer: They only know the effects of the criminal justice policies from the tough-on-crime era, not the era itself.
The Short, Hard Life Of Freddie Gray
Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody inspired riots in Baltimore because it was all too familiar to all too many people. His short life was punctuated by a series of difficult and confounding encounters with the criminal justice system that were even more common than his death.
Indefensible: The Story Of New Orleans' Public Defenders
Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans didn’t even have a full-time public defender program. The one they built remains overwhelmed and underfunded.
Kids With Parents In Prison Often Deal With Untreated Trauma
Millions of American kids have an incarcerated parent, which can trigger PTSD, depression, and other mental health disorders. A unique Brooklyn organization is trying to help, one family at a time.
Conservative Criminal Justice Advocates Say They Know How To Drown Out Trump
Advocates have been talking to Republican presidential candidates about criminal justice, an issue they say can break a candidate out of the crowded field at the GOP debate tonight.
“DA Time”: How New Orleans Locks People Up For Weeks Without Charges
Anyone suspected of a felony in New Orleans can be jailed for up to two months. That can alter a life forever, even without a conviction or a charge.
Why Patrick Leahy Is Wary Of A Big, Bipartisan Breakthrough On Criminal Justice
Washington seems ready to seriously consider reducing mandatory minimum drug sentences, but Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy has been here before and says all mandatory minimum sentences need to go.
Mike Lee's Guide To Convincing Republicans To Ease Mandatory Minimums
Utah Republican Mike Lee is the Republican "doing the work" on criminal justice in the Senate, according to advocates. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, he insists a deal will get done and dismisses critics.
Obama Administration Rejects Drug Court Plan In Criminal Justice Bill
The bipartisan SAFE Act is the bill criminal justice advocates want. The Obama administration doesn't like it.
Democrats Fight — With Each Other — Over The Kochs
Democratic side of the bipartisan coalition to produce change in the criminal justice system defends Koch Brothers against attacks from a Democratic research firm.
Real Change Could Be Coming To How The Government Sentences Nonviolent Drug Offenders
President Obama’s using his executive power to free nonviolent offenders, and activists say they see a real, meaningful shift with top GOP opponents. But how much will get done before the presidential race takes over?
Texas Governor Signs Law To Stop Jailing Kids For Skipping School
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that will make truancy a civil offense rather than a criminal one. A BuzzFeed News investigation had found that more than 1,000 Texas teenagers had been ordered to jail after skipping school.
ACLU Calls Baltimore Jail "A Crumbling Victorian Dungeon"
The ACLU is asking a court to reopen a lawsuit over conditions at the "crumbling" and "vermin-infested" Baltimore city jail.
Hillary Clinton On Baltimore: "We Have To Come To Terms With Some Hard Truths About Race And Justice In America"
In a speech Wednesday at Columbia University, Clinton touched on race and inequality in America and called for policies to address what she called an "out-of-balance" criminal justice system.
This Quiz Can Mean Life Behind Bars
A short checklist called the Static-99 weighs facts about a sex offender’s past in order to predict the likelihood of future crimes. Many legal and scientific experts worry that the way the test is often used — to make high-stakes decisions about an individual’s liberty — is critically flawed.
Protesters To Demand Release Of Battered Woman In Oklahoma
The national advocacy group UltraViolet plans to demand the release of Tondalo Hall at a rally in Oklahoma City on Monday. Hall is in prison on a 30-year sentence for failing to protect her children from an abuser who was set free eight years ago.
The Big, New Bipartisan, Well-Funded Effort To Change The U.S. Criminal Justice System
New offices, new lobbyists, new money pour into a new national criminal justice effort — that features some of the most well-known names in progressive and libertarian politics.
Democrats, Republicans Will Try To Reduce Mandatory-Minimum Sentences
The Smarter Sentencing Act is being reintroduced by a bipartisan coalition of conservative and liberal senators. Update: A White House official said the Obama administration "applauds" the effort.
These 15 Americans Spent 350 Years In Prison For Crimes They Didn't Commit
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 1,541 innocent people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989, with more mishandled cases being revisited by committed legal teams every year. These photos show 15 of them during some of their first moments of freedom.
Man Freed After Serving Nearly 40 Years In Prison For Murders He Didn't Commit
Joseph Sledge was convicted in North Carolina of stabbing two women. He was cleared Friday and now just wants to go swimming and sleep in a real bed.
Meet The Bail Bond Queen
Michelle Esquenazi owns one of the largest bail bond agencies in New York state. BuzzFeed News explores her controversial line of work, in which she tells people, "you are walking money. I own your body.”
Here's Why Jay Wilds' New Interview Won't Necessarily Help Adnan Syed
Wilds' interview with The Intercept conflicted with testimony he gave during Syed's murder trial, which was reassessed by the Serial podcast. But after a conviction, the burden of proof shifts to the accused.
“I Can Breathe! ‘Cause I Don’t Steal!”
At the latest demonstration, NYPD supporters gathered on one side of the fence, counter-protesters on the other. It got heated.
Mississippi’s Top Prison Reformer Is Facing 368 Years Behind Bars
Chris Epps wanted to reform the state's harsh, decrepit prison system. Now he’s facing three centuries in the slammer.
Meet The Abuse Victim Who Got 30 Years In Prison — And The Feminist Group Trying To Get Her Out
Tens of thousands have signed a petition from grassroots organization UltraViolet for the release of Tondalo Hall, an Oklahoma prisoner and domestic abuse victim. Hall is serving a prison term 15 times longer than her abusive partner. Read the latest installment of a BuzzFeed News investigation here.
This Battered Woman Wants To Get Out Of Prison
Tondalo Hall was sentenced to 30 years in prison for allowing child abuse — while the actual abuser got only two years. Now she seeks clemency, and a women’s rights group is backing her with an online petition.
How A 12-Year-Old Rape Victim Lost His Mom To “Failure To Protect” Law
Collin Grant’s stepfather repeatedly raped him — but under laws exposed in a BuzzFeed News investigation, Collin’s mom went to prison for more time than his rapist. Today, Collin wants his mother pardoned.
Listen To The Confession Of A Battered Woman
Victoria Pedraza’s daughter was murdered by the man who had also been beating her for months. Victoria’s story, in her own voice, will haunt you. Part of a BuzzFeed News Investigation.
