The Still Incomplete Case Against Harvey Weinstein Melissa Gira Grant, New Republic Weinstein Verdict Signals Cultural Shift on Sexual Assault Laura Kusisto, Wall Street Journal A Progressive Prosecutor Pledged to Reform the System. The System’s Fighting Back. Lara Bazelon, Slate Jussie Smollett Is a Great Distraction From Years of Criminal-Justice Reform in Chicago Zak Cheney-Rice, New York Magazine AG Barr names new federal prison director in continuing leadership make-over after Jeffrey Epstein suicide Kevin Johnson, USA Today Clemency for Rod Blagojevich Came After Long Campaign Tailored to Trump Jess Bravin, Wall Street Journal

Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Sex Crimes in #MeToo Watershed Jan Ransom, New York Times Breaking Down Harvey Weinstein’s Verdict Amanda Arnold, New York Magazine How Did the Democrats End Up Here? Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker Police unions, justice reformers battle for dollars in bitter LA County DA race James Queally and Maloy Moore, Los Angeles Times A Murder Trial in Reverse Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker Pleas of Insanity: The Mysterious Case of Anthony Montwheeler (Oregon) Rob Fischer, Rolling Stone Even 14-Year-Olds Who Kill Are Not Adults Editorial...

In One State, a Holdout Juror Can’t Block a Conviction. That May Not Last. (Oregon) Timothy Williams, New York Times The Backlash Nick Pinto, The Intercept Did bail reform really cause a crime wave? Lindsay Beyerstein, City & State California Weighs Statewide Move to Cut Court Fines and Fees Stephen Handelman, The Crime Report Blagojevich’s plea for freedom was heard, but as governor he was deaf to the pleas of others Jennifer Soble, Chicago Sun-Times People Serving Life Exceeds Entire Prison Population of 1970 The Sentencing Project Policies &...

Rod Blagojevich – Not Alice Johnson – Is the True Face of Trump’s Criminal Justice Policies Laura Thompson, Mother Jones Black defendants spend more time in jail for the same crimes. Something has to change (Florida) Jeff Brandes, Tampa Bay Times The National Bail Industry Is Funding Misleading Facebook Ads To Fight Bail Reform Movement, Advocates Say George Joseph, Gothamist Criminal-Justice Changes Are Squeezing the Bail-Bond Industry Laura Kusisto, Wall Street Journal Judiciary Requests More Funding For Trump Judges Madison Alder, Bloomberg Law DA Associations Should Own Up to the Splintering Politics...

This is a curated selection of highlights from Crime Story Daily this week. On the criminal justice policy front: A piece from the Huffington Post takes a deep dive into Los Angeles County’s contentious district attorney race. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country; it accounts for almost a third of California’s incarcerated population. LA’s next DA will likely set the pace for criminal justice reform throughout the state and potentially across the country. On that note, USA Today reports that this week, incumbent DA Jackie Lacey moved to dismiss nearly 66,000 marijuana convictions in...

The Trouble with Donald Trump’s Clemencies and Pardons Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker Criminal Justice Reform Moves Pretty Fast. Just Ask Harris County DA Kim Ogg. Michael Hardy, Texas Monthly California Takes a First Step Toward Improving Its Failing County Jails Jason Pohl and Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica/Sacramento Bee Could a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision fix ‘broken’ bail systems across the state? Samantha Melamed, Philadelphia Inquirer Mississippi Prisons: No One’s Safe, Not Even the Guards Joseph Neff and Alysia Santo, The Marshall Project New York City Success Story: Leaving ‘Mass Imprisonment’ Behind Vincent Schiraldi, The...