“Court will have to consider a jail sanction.” The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s “hush money” election interference trial in New York found the former president in contempt of court for the 10th time and said he would consider jailing Trump if he continues to threaten witnesses and others involved in the trial. Politico Related: Read the judge’s contempt order. Supreme Court of New York More: Expect more testimony this week about business records at the Trump trial. The Associated Press Monday was a day for invoices. Politico A look at the New York misdemeanor conspiracy statute at the heart of the case against Trump. The Washington Post
Pro-Palestinian protests continue on college campuses. So do the consequences. Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony following weeks of protests on the New York City campus. The New York Times Legal Aid lawyers want an investigation into the NYPD’s detention of some protesters. The New York Daily News More: At the University of Chicago, known for its fierce support of free speech rights, officials have allowed a protest encampment on campus. But it’s not likely to last much longer. The New York Times Chicago police are under investigation for their use of force against protesters outside the city’s Art Institute. WTTW Facial recognition software makes it harder for protesters to hide their identity. Fast Company
When mental illness and poor prison healthcare equal a death sentence. Markus Johnson didn’t last long inside an Illinois prison in 2019. Sent there for a short sentence on a gun charge, he died in the throes of a mental crisis that was untreated by guards and other prison staff. He is not alone. All over the country, people die in custody because their mental illness is misdiagnosed or left untreated. Johnson’s mother has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the state and Wexford Health Services, a health care contractor in the state’s prisons. The New York Times TMP Context: The mental health crisis within federal prisons. The Marshall Project
While the U.S. Supreme Court delays, states ramp up their own immigration enforcement. Georgia jailers must now check the immigration status of prisoners and help enforce federal immigration law after the passage of a new state law last week. The Associated Press The Justice Department says it plans to sue Iowa over a new Texas-style state law that criminalizes people who were previously denied admission to the U.S. for being in the state. The law is scheduled to go into effect this week. The Associated Press Republican legislators in Kansas press forward with plans to help Texas enforce its harsh new immigration law despite opposition from the state’s Democratic governor. The Associated Press
Excellent work, Maurice and company. The Marshall Project has won the Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma with “The Mercy Workers,” a feature investigation by TMP staff writer Maurice Chammah published in March 2023. The story offers a rare look at the little-known profession of “mitigation specialists,” who poignantly attempt to save prisoners from the death penalty. The story was co-published by The Guardian. The Marshall Project
More than 40 children died of fentanyl overdoses in Missouri in 2022, a state panel reports. Twenty of the victims were under the age of four. Officials are blaming child welfare agents for missing signs of opioid use among parents. The Associated Press
Six Alabama prisoners are suing the state, claiming they are being forced to work against their will in violation of a new state constitutional prohibition against slavery in all forms. The plaintiffs say that corrections officers routinely punish those who refuse to work with solitary confinement and other retaliatory measures. Montgomery Advertiser TMP Context: Alabama prison strike of 2022. The Marshall Project
Legislators in Maine cannot agree on a definition of solitary confinement, let alone new laws that would limit its use in the state. News from the States TMP Context: When you are 16 and it’s your first time in solitary confinement. The Marshall Project
A man tried to shoot a pastor during a live-streamed church service on Sunday near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Police say the gun did not fire and the alleged attacker was tackled by parishioners. The Associated Press
Prosecutors in Henrico County, Virginia, want to drop murder charges against five law enforcement officers implicated in the death of Irvo Otieno last March. Otieno died of asphyxia after he was restrained by sheriff’s deputies and hospital employees for 11 minutes. Three people still face charges over Otieno’s death. The Washington Post
The morality of a protest crackdown. “To send the police in to arrest young people peacefully insisting upon a ceasefire represents a moral injury to us all. To do it with violence is a scandal.” The New Yorker More: Rubber bullets should never be used against student protesters. Slate
Punishing the victims of sex trafficking is bad policy. A new Alabama law set to take effect this fall, unironically called “The Sound of Freedom Act,” is an example of prosecutorial overreach. Reason
Death and detention at the border while the White House fights with Texas officials. “Migrants are caught in the middle of this political standoff, stranded in Mexico by Biden’s policies, forced to take routes made still more perilous by Abbott’s, and punished again for doing so by Biden.” The New York Review of Books
Hope Hicks without tears. The former White House communications director testified for and against her former boss at his “hush money” election interference trial last week. The New Yorker More: Her tearful testimony helped prosecutors more than it helped Donald Trump’s defense. The Bulwark
A sexual assault survivor’s tale. “The statistics of rape being reported as a crime, let alone prosecuted, are abysmal.” Louisville Courier-Journal
A potential Biden administration tax cut that could reshape legal weed. The reclassification of marijuana could result in huge tax breaks for cannabis companies. The Wall Street Journal
Firearm deaths among young Black people in rural counties have quadrupled in the past decade, according to a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control data. The Trace
They try to come to the U.S. hidden in cargo trucks. They are often left without food or water for days. Many die before they ever cross the border. NBC News As the climate changes, global migration patterns do, too, especially for those seeking to cross the U.S. border. NBC News
What “Red Dress Day” means. A day of remembrance for missing and murdered Indigenous women. Native News Online
“A theology that is founded on oppression, hierarchy, and authoritarianism.” A new book adds new details and wrenching anecdotes about sexual abuse and the subsequent cover-up by clergy and officials within the Southern Baptist Convention. Texas Observer
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