Law

A new report by a governor-appointed commission suggests ways for communities in St. Louis to move forward after the police killing of Michael Brown last summer. Here, Brown's father and other relatives pray at a memorial to Brown last month.

National

Ferguson Panel Outlines Possible Solutions To Community's Problems

1:54pm September 14, 2015

by Bill Chappell

"We have begun to build a problem-solving machine," say the members of a governor-appointed panel that has spent months identifying entrenched issues in Ferguson and St. Louis.

Clients hoping to get old warrants cleared wait in line to see a public defender in Brooklyn on Saturday. Their cases were heard in a makeshift courtroom in a church basement.

National

In A Church Basement, Chipping Away At A Mountain Of Minor Crime Warrants

11:59am September 14, 2015

by Alisa Roth

Of 1.2 million outstanding arrest warrants in New York City, most are for minor offenses like drinking in public. Brooklyn's district attorney is trying to clear that backlog — and clean some slates.

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Inmates of the Naselle Youth Camp work at the Blue Lake Fire in Walla Walla, Wash.

National

Firefighting Program Offers Juvenile Inmates A Chance To Give Back

10:46am September 13, 2015

by NPR Staff

Among the first firefighters at eastern Washington wildfires this summer was a crew of juveniles inmates. But after one teenager escaped last month, the program is now under review.

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For Activist, Passage Of Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill Is 'Bittersweet' Win

8:09pm September 12, 2015

A bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide has been approved by the California state legislature, and now awaits the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown.

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National

Takeaways From The Federal Report On Deadly Force By Philadelphia Cops

4:02pm September 12, 2015

by Gene Demby

The Justice Department crunched years of data after Charles Ramsey, the city's police commissioner, requested that it look into how and when his officers used deadly force.

NYPD Releases Video Of Officer Throwing Tennis Star James Blake To The Ground

6:47pm September 11, 2015

by Laura Wagner

The arresting officer, James Frascatore, has a history of excessive-force allegations and is named in two civil rights lawsuits.

S.C. Judge Weighs Bail For White Ex-Officer Who Shot Black Man

2:24pm September 11, 2015

by Sarah McCammon

The judge says he'll rule later on whether former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager should be released from jail before his trial. He's been in jail since shooting to death Walter Scott.

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National

Justice Department Details New Focus On Wall Street Executives

4:53pm September 10, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

Justice told civil and criminal investigators that they should focus on individuals first, before pursuing large-scale corporate investigations. This approach, Justice said, is a better deterrent.

Hillary Clinton Proposes Plan To Restrict Money's Influence In Politics

6:17pm September 09, 2015

by Peter Overby

The amount of money in politics since the 2010 Citizens United decision is staggering. Hillary Clinton came out with a plan Tuesday to address it, but it's a daunting issue for a president to take on.

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Report: Judges Have Too Much Control In Public Defense System

2:31pm September 09, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

A new report by criminal defense lawyers finds judges involved in the cases of people who are unable to pay for attorneys too often put their own fingers on the scales.

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