Access to Justice

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2023

What The Tyre Nichols Case Means For Police Prosecutions

By Daniel Connolly

When Tyre Nichols was fatally beaten by Memphis, Tennessee, police last month, videos of the incident helped prompt local prosecutors to quickly bring second-degree murder charges against five of the officers involved — a highly unusual result that offers a window into the evolving state of police accountability in the U.S. Here, Law360 looks at some of the factors that make the Nichols case unusual, and what implications it could hold for future police prosecutions.

Read full article »

Pro Bono Spotlight

Gibson Dunn Aids Venezuelan Asylum-Seekers Bused To NYC

By Hannah Albarazi

When Texas, Florida and Arizona authorities began busing tens of thousands of migrants from the Southern border to Northern cities last year, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP attorneys stepped up to provide legal aid to hundreds of Venezuelan families applying for asylum in the U.S.

Read full article »

Md. Court Watchers Push For Permanent Remote Access

By Emily Lever

Singer-songwriter Fiona Apple added another skill to her repertoire during the pandemic by becoming a citizen court-watcher, remotely observing hearings in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, and now she is part of a coalition advocating for a bill that would make it easier for the public to access court proceedings.

Read full article »

Calif. Federal Judge Orders Release Of Medical Pot Operator

By Sam Reisman

A man convicted of running a California medical marijuana operation and sentenced to over two decades in federal prison is expected to walk free on Friday after a federal judge granted a motion to reduce his sentence.

2 documents attached | Read full article »

House Task Force Aims To Help Ex-Cons Thrive After Prison

By Rachel Rippetoe

More than two dozen members of Congress have banded together to create a new bipartisan task force focused on aiding former inmates' reentry into society.

Read full article »

DC Court Orders Better Legal Access At Ariz. ICE Center

By Alyssa Aquino

A Washington, D.C., federal court ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve access to counsel at an Arizona detention facility, saying the facility appears to have completely blocked attorneys' access to detainees.

Order attached | Read full article »

Gov't Denies It's 'Not Playing Ball' On Remote Hearings

By Micah Danney

The federal government has rebuffed a claim by the American Immigration Lawyers Association that it is "not playing ball in a serious way" to provide a remote option for immigration hearings, saying the group was the uncooperative party.

Letter attached | Read full article »

Mass. Launches Abortion Hotline Staffed By BigLaw, ACLU

By Brian Dowling

A group of 150 attorneys from some of the largest Massachusetts law firms and the ACLU will provide free legal advice about abortion access to patients and health care providers through a new confidential hotline, state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said Monday.

Read full article »

Perspectives

We Can Ensure Public Safety And Still Reduce Incarceration

Recent progress toward reducing jail and prison populations remains fragile as tough-on-crime policies reemerge, but American history shows that we don’t have to choose between less violence and lower incarceration rates — we can have both, says Jeffrey Bellin at William & Mary Law School.

Read full article »