Justice
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman moves to restart executions
FRANKFORT — Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is moving to restart executions in Kentucky. Coleman announced Friday that he has filed a motion in Franklin Circuit Court seeking to end what a news release from his office called a “nearly 15-year ruling that has blocked the imposition of the death penalty in Kentucky.” Coleman said […]
Appeals court sides with GOP constitutional officers on ethics commission power
Republican constitutional officers celebrated a Friday ruling from the Kentucky Court of Appeals that upheld a law allowing them to each appoint a member of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission.? Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who’s office has said it will ask the Kentucky Supreme Court to hear the case, filed a lawsuit in 2022 to […]
Bill easing job hunt for ex-offenders clears Kentucky legislative committee
Kentuckians who have been convicted of crimes would get a better shot at a second chance under a bipartisan bill that cleared a House committee Wednesday, its supporters say. House Bill 124, sponsored by Rep. Emily Callaway, R-Louisville, would allow individuals to find out in advance if their criminal records would disqualify them from receiving […]
Researchers call for more abortion studies to be retracted
Health and science experts published a commentary in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday calling for the retraction of four older abortion-related studies that, despite documented flaws, have influenced major anti-abortion decisions over the past 20 years, including the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned federal abortion rights. The commentary comes the same month […]
Boone County using opioid settlement funds to create social worker role under the sheriff’s department
Boone County is set to hire three new workers aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by the opioid crisis. On Tuesday, the Boone County Fiscal Court approved a resolution allowing the use of opioid abatement funds to hire up to three police navigators/social workers — a newly created position. “This is one of the […]
Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say
Crime is shaping up as a potent election issue, and one of the key points of debate is over bail: Which suspects should be jailed before trial, and which ones should be released on bond — and for how much money? Some conservatives argue that lenient bail policies put suspects who are likely to commit […]
Bill limiting Kentucky governor’s pardon power near elections wins bipartisan approval in Senate
FRANKFORT —?With bipartisan support, the Kentucky Senate took another step toward limiting pardon and sentence commutation powers of the governor.? Republican-backed Senate Bill 126 proposes a constitutional amendment to suspend the governor’s power to issue pardons or sentence commutations from 30 days before a gubernatorial election until the fifth Tuesday after the election, the day […]
Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why.
Carjackings and car thefts are up significantly compared with the number of incidents before the pandemic, prompting fear and calls for action in many American cities. Motor vehicle thefts increased by 29% in 2023 compared with the previous year, while carjackings slightly decreased by 5%?in?nearly 40 American cities,?according to the Council on Criminal Justice’s most […]
‘Victims before perpetrators:’ Senate passes bill to try certain juveniles as adults?
FRANKFORT — A bill making it easier for Kentucky to try certain juveniles as adults passed out of the Senate Wednesday 25-9-1 after a heated debate.? Under Senate Bill 20, Kentuckians would be transferred to circuit court for trial as an adult if, among other things, they were at least 15 years old at the […]
Bill to limit governor pardons, commutations around elections passes Senate committee?
FRANKFORT —?A bill that would limit Kentucky governors’ power to issue pardons or commute sentences was approved by the Senate State and Local Government Committee Wednesday.? Senate Bill 126 proposes a constitutional amendment to suspend the governor’s power to issue pardons or sentence commutations from 30 days before a gubernatorial election until the fifth Tuesday […]
Dozens of ‘friend of the court’ briefs backing abortion pill access arrive at Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has been inundated with dozens of organizations seeking to weigh in on the future of the abortion pill by filing “friend of the court” briefs. The groups include governors, attorneys general, state lawmakers and members of Congress as well as medical organizations, civil rights groups and pharmaceutical companies — […]
Study cited by Texas judge in abortion pill case retracted
Two of the key studies cited by plaintiffs and judges as evidence that medication abortion should be pulled from the market or heavily restricted have been retracted because of undeclared conflicts of interest and unreliable findings, academic publisher Sage announced Monday. States Newsroom was the first to report last year that Sage had opened an […]