Law

National

L.A. Sheriff's Deputies Indicted On Corruption, Civil Rights Abuses

10:45am December 10, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

On Monday, federal prosecutors announced indictments against 18 current and former deputies of the L.A. Sheriff's department for corruption and civil rights abuses inside the nation's largest municipal jail system.

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National

Nosy Driver In The Next SUV? It May Be A Cop Watching You Text

7:35pm December 06, 2013

by Alisa Roth

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, and six others forbid it for new drivers — but that doesn't stop people from doing it. So New York State Police are using unmarked SUVs to try to spot drivers in the act.

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National

Wash. Judge Rules Towns Failed Poor Defendents

11:57am December 06, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

A big ruling on whether poor criminal defendants have the right to a lawyer came this week. A judge in Washington state finds two cities have systematically violated the rights of indigent defendants by providing them with lawyers who spent less than one hour on their cases.

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A lot of what we think we know about interrogation tactics comes from television and movies. Above (from left), Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum and Robert Young appear in a scene from the 1947 film Crossfire.

National

Beyond Good Cop/Bad Cop: A Look At Real-Life Interrogations

2:55pm December 05, 2013

How close are TV interrogations to the real thing? Not very, says Douglas Starr. In a New Yorker article, he explores the "gold standard" of interrogation methods, developed in the 1940s. But there's concern that this technique is based on outdated science, and may produce false confessions.

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For years, sports broadcasts were a staple of AM radio. But now, AM seems to be mostly a mix of talk shows and infomercials, and the Federal Communications Commission wants the band to be relevant again.

FCC Proposes AM Radio Changes To Give The Band A Boost

8:24pm December 03, 2013

by Brian Naylor

AM radio was what folks used to gather around to listen to soap operas, big bands and live drama. Later, it's where baby boomers heard the Beatles. Now, it's largely the province of news and talk — and often hard to hear because of interference. The FCC is proposing some changes it hopes will make the AM band relevant again.

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National

Washington State Growers Roll The Dice On New Pot Licenses

6:55pm December 03, 2013

by Martin Kaste

The deadline to apply to legally grow and sell pot is coming up in Washington, but growers are finding there are pros and cons to going legit. Applicants must invest big money to qualify for a license, and it's unclear what the new system will mean for existing medical growers.

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National

A Supreme Court Fight For The Rights Of (Frequent) Fliers

6:02pm December 03, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

What rights do participants in an airline's frequent-flier plan have to their miles or points? That's the question before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, when the justices examine whether, and under what circumstances, frequent fliers can sue in these disputes.

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Archbishop Joseph William Tobin of Indianapolis prays at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' annual fall meeting in Baltimore on Nov. 12.

ACLU Sues, Claiming Catholic Hospitals Put Women At Risk

7:50pm December 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

A woman in Michigan says that a Catholic hospital failed to give her adequate health care when she came to the hospital after her water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant. That has sparked a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.

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Stephen Glass during a 2003 interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes.

National

Infamous Reporter Stephen Glass Vies For Bar Admission

1:28pm November 26, 2013

by Emily Green

The New York State Bar rejected Glass on moral character grounds nine years ago, and the California Supreme Court is likely to do the same. Still, some say the man who fabricated dozens of magazine stories has changed and should be given the chance to practice law.

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employs special agents who pose as hit men to stop contract killings.

National

A Special Agent's Secret Job: Hit Man

7:40am November 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

Charles Hunt — that's not his real name — works for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. To prevent contract killings, he and colleagues pose as killers themselves. Journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas, who wrote a profile of the agent for GQ, says in real life he's a "lovely man" playing a "bit of a superman role."

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