Plea bargaining is a largely secret process that doesn’t always do justice to the defendant or the victim. But efforts are underway to bring it out of the shadows – a first step in improving it.
Read moreCan looking back help America move forward, judicially? That’s the question facing originalism, a legal theory that holds more power than ever and could launch a shift in law as dramatic as the Warren and Burger courts.
Read moreIn the rare instances the Supreme Court has overturned a constitutional precedent, it has typically been to expand, not revoke, a right. That may be changing for abortion rights, and states and their constitutions could find themselves even fiercer battlegrounds.
Read moreAs cities wrestle with how to reform policing to reduce the use of lethal force, Albuquerque has created a new kind of responder on the streets. It sends behavioral specialists to deal with calls that involve emergencies like mental health issues and homelessness.
Read moreAbortion is a complicated issue in many faith communities. One effect of Texas’ strict new abortion law, SB8, has been to spur people to wrestle more deeply with the topic – and to clarify their feelings around it.
Read moreThis wildlife refuge is unusual for its focus not just on habitat but on serving the residents of its urban locale. As the nation grows increasingly urban, its values could become a model.
Read moreDrought and climate change pose new challenges to New Mexico’s water supply. But a tradition of shared access – based around irrigation ditches called acequias – continues to thrive.
Read moreHaving learned from other cities’ attempts to address homelessness, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has opened a village of tiny homes. It hopes fostering a sense of community will prepare residents for permanent housing.
Read moreThis last Supreme Court term didn’t take shape as many expected. But the key to understanding how the court might evolve could lie in its most conservative member.
Read moreThe Supreme Court may, like America itself, be more partisan than ever. But Thursday offered two big cases that did not break along predictable ideological lines.
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