In another case of possible overreach by federal prosecutors, an 82-year-old nun and two anti-nuclear activists face long prison terms after being convicted of "sabotage against the U.S. government" and other serious felonies. In truth, the three trespassed onto a nuclear facility, and damaged and vandalized some government property. Their...

-- Forensic dubiousness we're likely to see in the George Zimmerman trial: voice recognition "experts." Maybe this will present an opportunity for legal commentators and TV coverage to examine the problem of forensic junk science in the courtroom. Probably not. But maybe.

-- A single Chicago...

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

I know regular Agitator readers have expressed concern that the blog has become less blog-like over the last few months. I'll try to remedy that. It's been a nutty news week. Not just all the obvious stuff, but even the second-tier stories are crazy. A few items for your reading:

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

One of the Supreme Court's most celebrated criminal procedure decisions turns 50 years old Monday. By a 7-2 vote, the Court ruled in the 1963 case Brady v. Maryland that under the 14th Amendment's due process clause, prosecutors are obligated to disclose all exculpatory evidence to criminal defendants. "A prosecution...

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

I've done a lot of reporting on the criminal justice system in Mississippi. When confronted with overwhelming evidence of innocence, prosecutorial misconduct, and forensic charlatanism, I've often heard or read state officials duck the actual merits of the arguments, and instead point out that the people...

(This is part four in a series of posts on the Boston Marathon bombings, the government response, and Boston unique historical perspective on militarism and civil liberties. You can read the introduction here, part two here, part three here, and part four

(This is part four in a series of posts on the Boston Marathon bombings, the government response, and Boston unique historical perspective on militarism and civil liberties. You can read the introduction here, part two here, and part three here.)

The most persistent and...

(This is part three in a series of posts on the Boston Marathon bombings, the government response, and Boston unique historical perspective on militarism and civil liberties. See the introduction here, and part two here.)

The second historically significant incident involving Boston and a government-ordered lockdown...

(This is part two of a series of posts on the Boston Marathon bombings, the government response, and Boston unique historical perspective on militarism and civil liberties. See part one here.)

The first instance of government militarism in the streets of Boston is a big reason why there's...

UPDATE: 11:16 a.m. -- Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and attorneys for Bisbee have agreed to wording in a new civil union ordinance. Horne has withdrawn his lawsuit, and the Bisbee city council will vote on the new language sometime this summer. The new law doesn't go quite as...

In those first hours after the bombing of the Boston Marathon, some progressive pundits pointed out that the attacks had occurred on Patriot's Day, the holiday observed in Massachusetts and Maine to mark the battles at Lexington and Concord, the fights that began the American Revolution....

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

Note: The "Raid of the Day" features accounts of police raids I've found, researched, and reported while writing my forthcoming book Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. It's due out in July, but you can...

America's long drug war has produced countless tragedies, ruined lives and led to parentless children, as well as the deaths of drug warriors, nonviolent offenders and innocents. As marijuana advocates and drug policy reformers around the nation celebrate 4/20, take a look at 13 stories of people whose lives were...

I was in Bisbee, Arizona yesterday to do some reporting for a story on how the artsy, bohemian little town just north of the Mexican border is taking a stand in favor of civil unions -- in defiance of the rest of the State.

Late in the afternoon I...