A Court Decision in California Threatens to Erode the Constitutional Right to a Lawyer
Countless defendants could potentially be denied the ability to fend off criminal charges should a California appeal court’s opinion survive scrutiny.
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith is a state and national award-winning investigative journalist based in Kansas City, Missouri. She has covered the criminal legal system for more than 25 years and, during that time, has developed a reputation as a resourceful and dogged reporter with a talent for analyzing complex social and legal issues. She spent more than 20 years reporting in Texas where she was regarded as one of the best investigative reporters in the state. Her investigative work in wrongful conviction cases has helped to exonerate six people. A longtime staff writer for the Austin Chronicle, her work has also appeared in The Nation, the Crime Report, and the Texas Observer, among other places.
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His Wife Died in a Mass Shooting. Now He’s Teaming Up With Her Murderer’s Lawyer to Take On Prosecutorial Misconduct.
Paul Wilson and Scott Sanders have forged a powerful if unlikely alliance fighting for accountability within the Orange County justice system.
If a Prosecutor Breaks the Law in Secret, Does the Crime Exist? Not According to Texas Prosecutors.
The prosecuting attorney for the state of Texas claims that misconduct by DAs is rare, because it's rarely discovered. But that's because it's hidden.
Jurors Thought a Gay Man Would Enjoy Prison. They Sent Him to Death Row Instead. Will the Supreme Court Intervene?
Lawyers for Charles Rhines say his death sentence should be overturned based on anti-gay bias that violated his right to an impartial jury and due process.
The End of Roe
Trump’s Gag Rule Would Pressure Medical Providers to Withhold Information on Abortion and Birth Control
The rule would discourage Title X providers from counseling patients about abortion and bar them from referring patients to an abortion provider.
The Authors of “The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist” on the Legacy of Junk Forensics in Mississippi and Beyond
Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer were wrongfully convicted based on the dubious science of two doctors who dominated the state’s death investigation system.
The End of Roe
Donald Trump's Embrace of Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Is an Absurd Twist on a Failed Policy
Donald Trump, an unlikely champion of abstinence-only sex ed, has increased funding for the failed policy to $100 million.
Why a Convicted Killer Is Running for Office in Texas
Lewis Conway Jr. was transformed by his experience in prison. But a vague Texas law may prevent him from running for office.
The End of Roe
The Republican War on Women Continues With Yet Another Bill to Ban Abortion After 20 Weeks
With the possibility of a second government shutdown looming, the U.S. Senate decided to take up a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks.
17 Years After Being Convicted of a Grisly Murder in Vegas, Kirstin Lobato Sees Her Charges Dismissed
Sloppy work by police and prosecutors sent teenager Kirstin Lobato to prison based on a rumor that she had cut off a man’s penis.