Law

National

The Future Of Kansas Voter Laws

9:14am August 07, 2016

Last month, a judge struck down part of a voter registration law in Kansas. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks the law's future with Wichita Eagle reporter Bryan Lowry and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

National

New NYPD Commissioner Led Shift Toward 'Community Policing'

4:34pm August 05, 2016

by Joel Rose

Incoming NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill takes the job at a challenging time for American policing. O'Neill is a 33-year-old police veteran who's overseen the department's shift toward a "community policing" model. NPR went to the Bronx, where O'Neill once served as commanding officer, to find out how the rollout is working.

Four states have no legal insanity defense.

With No Insanity Defense, Seriously Ill People End Up In Prison

3:13pm August 05, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Four states have no insanity defense. Advocates say that means seriously ill people can be executed where in other states they wouldn't be convicted at all, and it makes it harder to get treatment.

'Indianapolis Star' Reveals USA Gymnastics Failed To Report Abuse Cases

6:28pm August 04, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Marisa Kwiatkowski, investigative reporter for the Indianapolis Star, about how USA Gymnastics didn't report allegations of child abuse by coaches, allowing them to continue to abuse children for years.

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National

Overwhelmed Mo. Public Defender Office Appoints Governor To Handle A Case

6:28pm August 04, 2016

by Elle Moxley

Missouri's public defender system is one of the worst funded in the nation. To protest declining funding, the state's public defender director has taken a step that's getting him some attention — he has appointed Gov. Jay Nixon to handle a case.

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Massachusetts Joins State-Led Efforts On Equal Pay For Women

6:28pm August 04, 2016

by Fred Thys

As part of a state law designed to help equalize pay for women, employers are now prohibited from asking about an employee's previous salary. Advocates say the question creates a cycle of low pay.

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Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon speaks to the media in November 2014.

National

Overworked And Underfunded, Mo. Public Defender Office Assigns Case — To The Governor

1:44pm August 04, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Gov. Jay Nixon has denied funding increases and vetoed caseload caps for the state's badly overloaded public defender system. So the director is calling him in to help out with the backlog.

Gavin Grimm speaks during an interview at his home in Gloucester, Va., in 2015.

National

High Court Temporarily Blocks Transgender Student From Using Male Bathroom

1:23pm August 04, 2016

by Eyder Peralta

The move by the Supreme Court halts activity in the case, but doesn't necessarily mean the court will ultimately take up the case involving a high school student in Virginia.

In New York, fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel — whose app and site are shown as they appeared in October — will now be regulated by the state's gaming commission.

Daily Fantasy Sports May Soon Be Coming Back To New York State

10:17am August 04, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

DraftKings and FanDuel suspended operations there after the state's attorney general argued they were essentially gambling sites. A new state law declares fantasy sports to be games of skill.

National

Feds Hand PG&E A Legal Victory In Criminal Trial Over Its Pipeline Safety Policies

8:02pm August 03, 2016

by Richard Gonzales

Without explanation, prosecutors slashed a mutli-million dollar criminal penalty they were seeking in a trial over gas pipeline safety.