Justice

A cousin says death of Sean Grayson in prison ‘doesn’t give Sonya back her life or return her’ to her childrenThe death in prison of the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of murder after fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home “doesn’t feel like justice to me”, a cousin of the woman has said in an emotional statement.“It doesn’t give Sonya back her life or return her back to her [two] children”, who were aged 15 and 17 at the time of the killing, Sontae Massey wrote in the statement on Monday. Referring to Sonya Massey’s mother, the statement continued: “It doesn’t give my aunt back her daughter. And it doesn’t give our family the accountability were still waiting for … Continue reading...

Then Advocate editor-in-chief and writer testified editorial was not part of agenda against Jefferson Davis Hughes IIIA jury on Monday awarded $300,000 to a Louisiana supreme court justice over a 2019 editorial by the state’s largest newspaper in a rare defamation trial involving an elected public official.Jurors in Iberville parish, Louisiana, found that the editorial whose headline included “Jeff Hughes … made a mockery of justice” and was published by the Advocate had defamed state supreme court justice Jefferson Davis Hughes III. The $300,000 in damages that the jury awarded Hughes were nonetheless significantly less than the $10m he sought for what he described as injury to his reputation and emotional distress. Continue reading...

• South Korean President has accepted the resignation of Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho. • The departure follows a period of political tension after the liberal bloc implemented a controversial overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. • Jung previously cited personal health struggles, specifically mentioning a sleep disorder during a late July meeting with the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

• Chief Justice Roberts has granted permission for the White House to proceed with construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project. • The decision comes as the Supreme Court reviews an emergency appeal filed by the Trump administration regarding the project's legality or funding. • This ruling allows the high-cost renovation to continue temporarily, avoiding a construction halt while the legal challenge is pending.

Justice department claims there’s ‘no dispute’ over whether ex-FBI head’s post could be read as a threat against TrumpThe US Department of Justice has defended its prosecution of former FBI director James Comey, claiming in new court documents there is “no serious dispute” that his social media post last year featuring a photo of seashells arranged to read “8647” could be interpreted as a threat against Donald Trump.“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump’” prosecutors wrote in a document filed on Tuesday in response to efforts by Comey’s efforts to have the case dismissed. Continue reading...

Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appealLawyers for Erin Patterson argue that allowing jurors to stay in the same hotel as police and the prosecution while they deliberated over their verdicts in the triple murder trial represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system.On Wednesday, three judges of Victoria’s highest court started hearing two appeals – by Patterson herself and the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP) – into the conviction and sentence in the case. Continue reading...

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis faces trial on Monday over rap star’s death that marked notorious chapter in hip-hop’s historyIn September 1996, rap star Tupac Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas strip, succumbing days later to his injuries. His killing, which remained unsolved for decades, gave rise to fervent conspiracy theories and conjecture.Thirty years later, one man is facing trial for the ambush: Duane “Keffe D” Davis. Continue reading...

• The Senate voted on Saturday to confirm Todd Blanche as the new attorney general under President Donald Trump. • Blanche brings a dual background as both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer, which supporters believe will provide necessary balance to the Justice Department. • The appointment is framed as a corrective measure to address perceived political excesses and the "bending" of the law during Merrick Garland's tenure.

• Todd Blanche delivered his first official speech as the new leader of the Justice Department, addressing tens of thousands of staff members. • In a bid to stabilize the agency, Blanche utilized a decidedly optimistic and supportive tone to calm employees during the leadership transition. • The address is significant as it marks the beginning of Blanche's tenure and his initial attempt to establish rapport with the department's workforce.

Prosecutors charge Heidi Beirich with financial crimes as part of case against the Southern Poverty Law CenterThe justice department on Wednesday arrested a leading expert on far-right extremism, charging her with financial crimes as part of the government’s ongoing case against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).Federal prosecutors charged Heidi Beirich, who formerly served as the group’s chief financial officer, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Justice Department has deployed approximately 20 staff members from the Civil Rights Division and Minnesota’s US attorney’s office to monitor polling sites in Hennepin and Ramsey counties for the 2026 midterms. • County officials have refused federal staff entry, forcing monitors to remain at least 100 feet outside polling locations. • This move occurs amid heightened tensions, as the Trump administration has previously targeted Minnesota with a deadly immigration crackdown and the pausing of over $500 million in Medicaid payments.

Andy Burnham said to be ‘determined’ to work out solution after increasing pressure from family and policeAndy Burnham has told the justice secretary to find a way to exclude PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding.The prime minister is said to be “determined” that a solution can be found after increasing pressure from Harper’s family and police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under the existing plans. Continue reading...

Will Rosenzweig’s defunct blog was publicized online by conservative pundit who tagged senior DoJ officialsA federal prosecutor fired last year over critical comments he had written as a private citizen about Donald Trump sued the justice department on Friday, saying his termination violated his first amendment rights.Will Rosenzweig was two weeks away from trying a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case when a blog he had written years earlier covering a broad range of topics was publicized online by a conservative political commentator who also included a screenshot of Rosenzweig’s LinkedIn account and tagged senior justice department officials for their awareness. Continue reading...

• On September 27 and 28, 1995, activists from the "Offensiv" group and other Swedish left-wing organizations held a founding congress to establish the Socialist Justice Party. • The movement emerged from the Swedish labour movement, seeking to challenge the prevailing political landscape of the time. • The author, Nasser Paydar, argues that social democracy has historically misused the continuity of the labour movement to strengthen union reformism and social-reformist tendencies.

Filing by attorney general Raúl Torrez comes after DoJ appears to have ignored deadline for key Epstein ranch filesNew Mexico filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice and acting attorney general Todd Blanche on Wednesday for “stonewalling” its criminal investigation into the activities of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at a remote ranch in the state.Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, had said he was mulling the possibility of legal action if the justice department (DoJ) did not share with him by 31 July information about the alleged historical abuse of girls and young women at Epstein’s Zorro ranch about 30 miles south of Santa Fe. Continue reading...

Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing, and East Lansing during the August 4 Michigan primary. • The agency notified Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing of its intent to deploy election monitors via letters sent in late June. • This oversight ensures federal monitoring of the voting process to maintain election integrity and protect voter rights in key urban areas.

• The U.S. Justice Department deployed election monitors to four Michigan cities on Tuesday to oversee a critical primary election. • The primary is essential for determining the November candidates for an open U.S. Senate seat, which is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the 2026 midterms. • This move ensures federal oversight of voting processes to maintain integrity and accessibility during a high-stakes electoral cycle.

• The U.S. Department of Justice has deployed election monitors to Michigan to ensure fairness and transparency during the 2026 primary elections. • High-stakes contests include a fractured Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, as well as a competitive race for governor. • These primaries are critical because the Senate seat is currently rated as a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report for the general election against Republican Mike Rogers.

• EU justice ministers from 22 member states met on Tuesday to address the sudden influx of migrants into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. • The meeting, which lasted one hour, was initiated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and included leaders from nations such as Germany, Poland, and Italy. • The session served as a critical platform for member states to express collective solidarity with Spain during the ongoing migration crisis.

• Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Friday that the United States should consider expanding the Supreme Court to include 13 justices. • Speaking at the National Urban League’s annual conference in Nashville, Harris compared the proposed expansion to the existing structure of 13 district courts. • This proposal aligns with a broader push by Democrats for judicial reform, alongside Harris's calls to review the Electoral College and grant statehood to Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

David Huerta was arrested while protesting against an ICE operation during crackdown in Los AngelesThe Department of Justice (DoJ) has moved to dismiss charges against a prominent California union leader who was arrested while protesting an immigration raid in Los Angeles last year, in the latest US government case against protesters to fall apart.David Huerta, the president of Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West, was arrested at a June 2025 demonstration and has been fighting the charges ever since. On Monday, the US attorney’s office in LA filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him. Continue reading...

Gibraltar-based Ros Astengo inspired four men to report sexual assaults carried out by Allan Grimson in 1990sRos Astengo, a journalist based in Gibraltar who usually focuses on politics and social issues, had qualms when she began investigating the case of the suspected serial killer Allan Grimson as he neared release from prison after serving more than 20 years.She worried that she might reopen the scars of survivors of Grimson – but also that she could be putting herself in the “crosshairs” of a dangerous man who had sexually assaulted and battered two young men to death in the late 1990s when he was a Royal Navy petty officer. Continue reading...

Lawyers predict ‘more suppression and no active investigations’ but victims’ groups determined to continue fightAs Donald Trump’s former defense lawyer Todd Blanche appears poised for confirmation as attorney general, numerous Jeffrey Epstein survivors have sounded the alarm that a US justice department helmed by him would derail their pursuit of justice.In a letter urging Republican senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn to reject his nomination, these survivors said that Blanche’s handling of the Epstein case as acting attorney general was characterized by misstep after misstep. Continue reading...

• Supreme Court justices and judicial representatives are advocating for increased security funding on Capitol Hill to combat rising threats. • Isa Ulloa highlighted that both the judicial and legislative branches are currently facing an "unprecedented" level of security risks. • This push for funding underscores the growing vulnerability of high-ranking government officials and the need for enhanced protective measures.

Kagan rejects notion that high court ‘does whatever the administration wants’, pointing to tariffs ruling and moreLiberal justice Elena Kagan has said it was “wrong” to accuse the US supreme court of becoming a rubber stamp for Donald Trump in his second term, amid criticism of its authorization of some of the president’s most controversial actions.Pointing to rulings against the president on key issues such as tariffs, Kagan – one of three liberals on a court that has in recent years been defined by rulings authored by members of its six-justice conservative majority – defended it at an annual gathering of attorneys and judges for the ninth judicial circuit in Bellevue, Washington, on Thursday. Continue reading...

• Justice Elena Kagan stated on Thursday that the U.S. Supreme Court is not a "rubber stamp" for President Donald Trump, despite the court's deep conservative majority. • The comments come amid a period where public trust in the Supreme Court has reached historic lows and critics have accused justices of being driven by political motivations. • This defense of judicial independence is significant as Donald Trump has frequently used harsh language to personally attack justices who issue rulings against his interests.

• Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan asserted that the Court does not act as a "rubber stamp" for former President Donald Trump's legal and policy initiatives. • To support her claim, Kagan highlighted specific judicial rulings that rejected Trump's implementation of sweeping tariffs and his attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. • These statements underscore the ongoing tension between the executive branch's authority and the judiciary's role in providing a check on presidential power.