Advocates Challenge Mysterious Justice Department Statement That Undercuts Forensic Science Reform
Democracy Forward and the Union of Concerned Scientists say the Trump-era statement is biased, inaccurate, and runs afoul of federal law.
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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The End of Roe
Providers Sue to Block Law That Would Eliminate Nearly All Abortions in Texas
Senate Bill 8, Texas’s six-week ban, “places a bounty on people who provide or aid abortions,” the lawsuit argues.
Orange County Prosecutors Operate “Vast, Secretive” Genetic Surveillance Program
A DA’s office in California offers plea deals and dismissals for misdemeanor offenses — but only if people give up their DNA.
The End of Roe
Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic Is at the Center of the Fight for the Future of Roe v. Wade
The Mississippi law is the first outright ban the Supreme Court has considered since the landmark case that legalized abortion.
The End of Roe
Oklahoma Lawmaker Calls Abortion Worse Than Slavery
State legislators are crafting ever more extreme abortion restrictions designed to reach the Supreme Court. 2021 has already seen more than 500 bills filed across the country.
Missouri Prosecutors Lack the Power to Right a Wrongful Conviction
Prosecutor Kim Gardner agrees that Lamar Johnson is innocent, but the state’s top court says there’s nothing she can do about it.
Texas and the Racist Machinery of Death
In his new book, journalist Maurice Chammah explores the rise and fall of capital punishment in Texas and what it means for the country.
The End of Roe
Biden Takes First Step Toward Restoring Reproductive Health Program Gutted by Trump
The president signaled that Trump’s domestic gag rule should be lifted, but changes to Title X won’t be immediate.
The End of Roe
Texas Encourages Court to Endorse Risky, Medically Unnecessary Abortion Procedure
In fighting to ban the safest and most common method of later-term abortion, Texas advocates for experimenting on women.
Will Bringing Science Back to the White House Reinvigorate Forensics Reform?
Eric Lander, Biden’s pick for top science adviser, co-authored a damning report on the faulty forensic practices behind hundreds of wrongful convictions.