PM Stories
US judge puts Justice Department’s move to drop charges against Michael Flynn on hold Spencer S. Hsu and Carol D. Leonnig, Washington Post
Why the DOJ’s Dropping Charges Against Michael Flynn Is So Insidious Dahlia Lithwick, Slate
Will the Supreme Court rectify its qualified immunity mistake? George F. Will, Washington Post
How Supreme Court Doctrine Protects Cops Who Kill (or Otherwise Use Excessive Force) Jonathan H. Adler, Reason
Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? Ibram X. Kendi, The Atlantic
The Citizen’s Arrest Law Cited in Arbery’s Killing Dates Back to the Civil War Frances Robles, New York Times
Some Laws Shouldn’t Be Enforced Barry Lam, Slate
Ronnie Long’s last shot at freedom: Judge asks, ‘When did justice leave the process?’ (North Carolina) Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer
An American student was thrown from a cliff in 1988. Now, Australian police have arrested a suspect. A. Odysseus Patrick, Washington Post
DA Rollins asks SJC to vacate 64 defendants’ guilty pleas in drug cases following Dookhan, Farak scandals (Massachusetts) Travis Andersen, Boston Globe
A Mystery at Oxford Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic
Al Capone, All-American Boogeyman Josephine Livingstone, New Republic
“Trial by Media” summarizes but doesn’t challenge how coverage fuels drama in landmark cases Ashlie D. Stevens, Salon
AM Stories
The new death penalty: COVID has now killed more US prisoners in weeks than the US death penalty has in over a decade Sentencing Law and Policy
Solitary, Brawls, No Teachers: Coronavirus Makes Juvenile Jails Look Like Adult Prisons Eli Hager, The Marshall Project
COVID-19 Cases at One Texas Immigration Detention Center Soared in a Matter of Days. Now, Town Leaders Want Answers. Perla Trevizo, ProPublica
Women’s prison in Florida becomes COVID-19 nightmare Samantha J. Gross, Tampa Bay Times
Investigation: How The Coronavirus Ran Rampant Through A Tennessee Prison Samantha Max, WPLN
Inmates tried to infect themselves with the coronavirus to get early release, Los Angeles County sheriff says Timothy Bella, Washington Post
Social distancing arrests target people of color Katelyn Burns, Vox
Policing empty streets amid coronavirus: Cops are killjoys, bearers of goodwill Cindy Chang and James Queally, Los Angeles Times
How the coronavirus could kill the $2 billion US bail bond business Sully Barrett, CNBC
Gov. Pritzker is commuting sentences because of pandemic. Compassionate pardons should follow (Illinois) Ina Silvergleid, Chicago Sun-Times
Amid coronavirus closures, Louisiana’s public defense leaders consider drastic budget cuts Jacqueline DeRobertis, The Advocate
As We Struggle To Stay Connected, Prison Calls Must Be Free Bianca Tylek, Essence
Coronavirus has made Texas prison food even more gross Keri Blakinger, The Marshall Project