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NEWS ABOUT: justice system

Special Interests Control Our Judges

Campaign cash compromises their integrity: Adam Cohen

(Newser) - It’s not just legislative and executive elections that are unfairly influenced by big money. America needs to wake up to the power of special interests in judicial elections, writes Adam Cohen in Time . A new study sees “big business, corporate lobbyists, and trial lawyers” spending cash to get... More »

New on Mexican TV: Videotaped Confessions

Critics say made-for-TV interviews often coerced

(Newser) - Watched any Mexican TV lately? You may have seen the common ritual of law enforcement officers parading a "perp" before the news media—but now you can also watch his full videotaped confession. Or what authorities claim is his confession. "This is for the authorities, who want to... More »

Maybe Bagram Will Be the New Gitmo

Administration ponders how best to handle detainees

(Newser) - President Obama's security team is for the first time writing guidelines on how to handle captured terror suspects—specifically on whether any will be allowed to be detained indefinitely without trial, the Los Angeles Times reports. Draft guidelines predict that will be necessary for a small number of detainees, with... More »

Italian Courts Face Growing Knox Backlash

Glacial pace, leaked evidence, 'anti-Americanism' draws fire

(Newser) - Amanda Knox has served just a few days as a murder convict, but she'll have another year under her belt before an appeal gets under way, and questions about the fairness of her trial continue to pour in, reports the Independent . The open flow of information between cops and journos,... More »

Burnt-Out Defenders Refuse New Cases

(Newser) - Public defenders are as overworked as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore, the New York Times reports. Arguing that their hectic schedules result in scant attention for clients, government-appointed lawyers around the country are refusing new cases and suing to limit their workload. “The quality... More »

Supreme Court: It's a Dialog, Not an Isolated Oracle

Reporter looks back at 30 years and 2,691 decisions

(Newser) - Rather than boldly paving new roads, the Supreme Court functions largely as a bellwether of public opinion, cementing change “rather than propelling it,” writes Linda Greenhouse, looking back on some 30 years of reporting on the court for the New York Times. The justices don’t constitute a... More »

Mexico Overhauls Justice System

Calderon signs sweeping reforms

(Newser) - Sweeping reforms of Mexico's criminal justice system were signed into law by President Felipe Calderon yesterday. US-style public trials and presumption of innocence will replace Mexico's slow, closed-door system that proceeds almost exclusively through briefs, reports the Washington Post. The reforms also give investigators power to hold suspects 80 days... More »

Reagan's Influence on US Court System Lingers

Appeals courts, where the real action is, continue to weaken federal authority

(Newser) - Ronald Reagan’s influence on American courts remains unprecedented, and his transformation of the nomination process is only part of the story. With sheer numbers and ideological consistency, Reagan created a legacy that will influence American justice well into the 21st century, and perhaps beyond, USA Today reports. More »

World Frowns on American For-Profit Bail System

Critics find private system unfair, corrupt; it's also effective

(Newser) - For the rest of the world, America’s bail bonds industry is a horrifying concept. Bail bondsmen are a private, commercial wing of the US justice system, putting up defendants’ bail in exchange for a non-refundable fee, the New York Times explains. To critics, the system is unfair and corrupt,... More »

Lithwick: Nutty Legal Logic Used to Fire Attorneys

(Newser) - The same legal argument marshaled to justify mistreating prisoners is behind the Bush administration’s contention that the President can fire U.S. attorneys for any reason or no reason, according to Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick. It’s the theory that a greater power—like killing people in war—embodies... More »

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