Trials of Richard Glossip
“Innocent People Have Been Sentenced to Death in Oklahoma,” Commission Concludes
After a sweeping review of Oklahoma’s system of capital punishment, a bipartisan panel warns that the state must correct “systemic flaws.”
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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Texas Can No Longer Fabricate Its Own Medical Standards to Justify Executions
Texas has long used a standard for mental disability that was based on the fictional character of Lennie Small in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
Florida Governor Rick Scott Is Punishing a Prosecutor for Opposing the Death Penalty
State Attorney Aramis Ayala has drawn the ire of Florida Republicans for her decision to stop pursuing the death penalty.
Donald Trump Plans to Eliminate Legal Aid Funding That Supports Survivors of Domestic Violence
Cutting the Legal Services Corporation from the federal budget would deny millions of people access to civil representation and disproportionately impact women.
Missouri's Underfunded Public Defender Office Forces the Poor to Languish in Jail
If the Missouri public defender system collapses, prosecutions could grind to a halt while the state’s jails fill up — all at great public expense.
Texas Lawmakers Push for Fetal Burial Bill on International Women's Day
Doctors and women’s health advocates point out that the fetal burial bill would apply to miscarriages as well as abortions.
The End of Roe
Repealing the Affordable Care Act Would Jeopardize Women's Health
Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, women faced a number of barriers to care that are not shared by men.
The End of Roe
Oklahoma Lawmakers Want Men to Approve All Abortions
Oklahoma ranks second behind Louisiana for the sheer number of abortion restrictions passed since 1973.
The End of Roe
Sen. Joni Ernst Puts Planned Parenthood — and Access to Birth Control — on the Chopping Block
Stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding could seriously damage the networks of providers that offer women’s health services, leaving thousands of women without access to preventive care.
Texas Governor Goes to War With Austin Over Immigration Enforcement
Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to strip Austin’s Travis County of funding unless the county illegally detains people suspected of immigration violations.