A betrayal of trust. There are hundreds of law enforcement Explorer programs across the U.S., created in affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America to help young people learn about policing. But there have been at least 194 allegations that law enforcement personnel (typically police officers) groomed, sexually abused or otherwise engaged in inappropriate behavior with participants since 1974. Teenage girls, some as young as 13, were a particular target. Some cops were convicted, while others received little discipline*.* In collaboration with NBC News, TMP’s Lakeidra Chavis, Daphne Duret and Joseph Neff lead our coverage. The Marshall Project More from TMP: We are still investigating police Explorer programs and want to hear from you. The Marshall Project
Constitutional rights without remedies for countless Mississipians. There is no statewide system in Mississippi to help ensure that people who cannot afford an attorney are provided one. Instead, local governments are required to create, fund, and manage their own indigent defense systems. Last year, the state’s supreme court ordered counties to do more to help vindicate the constitutional right to counsel, but things haven’t gotten materially better for indigent defendants, many of whom are languishing for months in jails without legal aid. State legislators recently failed to enact new guidelines for counties so they could better serve their residents. TMP’s Caleb Bedillion has our story. The Marshall Project
Protest fallout. Police say they arrested 90 people last night at pro-Palestinian protests at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The Washington Post In New York City, police tactics included riot gear and a tactical truck for “paramilitary operations.” New York Magazine Police in Los Angeles face criticism for their failure to quickly respond to pro-Israel counterprotesters attacking pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA early Wednesday. Los Angeles Times Police in New Orleans cleared out a protest encampment at Tulane University. Fourteen people were arrested. NOLA.com More: The students arrested at Columbia University could face charges, but are unlikely to face jail time, says a veteran defense lawyer. The New York Times
Riotous times. Derrick Evans, convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, is now running as a Republican candidate for Congress in West Virginia. If he wins, his new colleagues will have to decide whether an insurrectionist can serve in the House of Representatives. Mother Jones Former President Donald Trump has promised that he will pardon all of the Capitol rioters, including those who attacked police officers on Jan. 6. His campaign officials say that might not be true. NBC News Arizona Republicans continue to embrace 2020 election deniers, even as the next presidential election looms. The New York Times
Florida’s new law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect on Wednesday. It is now a felony in the state to perform or otherwise aid in an abortion. The law includes exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking, but only up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. NBC News More: Democratic state senators in Arizona garnered enough votes to repeal the state’s 1864 ban on abortion. Two Republicans joined the repeal effort, which now goes to Gov. Katie Hobbs for signature. The Associated Press
Prosecutors told a New York judge on Wednesday that they want to retry disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein on rape charges in September. The New York Times Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was overturned by a state appeals court last month. He is currently serving a 16-year sentence in California. The Associated Press
The success of bail reform measures in Illinois has politicians and advocates working to expand community-based programs that help people who are released from jail prior to their trial. Bolts TMP Context from 2020: The state of bail reform. The Marshall Project
In 2017, Alabama passed a law banning judges from overruling jury recommendations of life sentences and sentencing defendants to death instead. Yet 30 people remain on the state’s death row after their juries voted for life-without-parole sentences. AL.com TMP Context: When the state undermined the right to a trial by jury. The Marshall Project
More than 150 people signed onto a lawsuit filed this week against New York City for abuse they say they endured as minors under the custody of the city’s child services and jail systems. The New York Times
New York City and Columbia University blew it. Other campus protests have evolved peacefully, without resorting to police in riot gear, overwhelming unarmed students. Slate The attack on the protest encampment at UCLA was unacceptable. Los Angeles Times More: Four student journalists at UCLA were attacked by pro-Israel counteprotesters. Los Angeles Times
The reclassification of marijuana is a welcome step toward federal decriminalization. Federal law lags behind state legalization efforts, “technically subjecting users to criminal prosecution and jail, and preventing producers and sellers from fully participating in the federally regulated banking system. Reclassifying cannabis … won’t remove its criminal status, but it could pave the way for Congress to act.” Los Angeles Times
A small victory for the rule of law in the “hush money” election interference case against Donald Trump. Until this week, no president in U.S. history had ever been held in criminal contempt of court. Slate
A new generation of “sundown towns.” What it’s like to live in an age where “homelessness is portrayed as something police can deter and rehabilitation can cure. Homelessness policies that fail drive electoral success, and politicians can claim an empty sidewalk — and an unsolved crisis — as a political victory.” The New Republic
“It’s gone to a whole other level.” FBI Director Christopher Wray continues to warn of a possible terror attack fueled by the war in Gaza. The Washington Post
The ripple effect of border policy. The deaths of 40 men held in a Mexican immigration facility were a direct result of U.S. immigration policy. The Texas Tribune/ProPublica
Sentencing in an espionage case. A former National Security Agency employee was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison this week for trying to sell secrets to Russian agents. Jareh Dalke pleaded guilty last year to six counts of attempting to transmit classified information. The New York Times
How anti-violence initiatives spread across the U.S. Last year, four Black-led anti-violence coalitions successfully rolled out programs in Baltimore, Indianapolis, Newark and Baton Rouge. Gun violence has decreased in all four cities. Now the plan is to try to expand the initiative in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Oakland. The Trace
Unhappy anniversary. It’s been 10 years since Oklahoma botched the execution of Clayton Lockett. Verdict That grim event had a ripple effect across the country, in jurisdictions that still execute people. Tulsa World TMP Context: A death penalty case? Or a case of bullying? The Marshall Project
Documenting the “less lethal” use of police force. The use of “prone restraint” and other methods police officers use to subdue suspects often end with the suspects dead, family members furious, and police officials trying to justify or excuse the result. Frontline/PBS TMP Context: “He died like an animal.” The Marshall Project
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