Justice
Restitution orders: how courts calculate what a convicted person owes
A restitution order is entered at sentencing, but collecting it is a separate fight — and full recovery is rare.
Monica Cummings · October 1, 2026
Justice
Reporting on courts, prosecutors and oversight bodies, from the filing of a claim to the enforcement of an order. Each piece explains what a judgment decided, what it declined to decide, and how the outcome changes the position of people bringing similar cases. For readers following litigation closely.
Justice
How cash bail actually works — and who stays in jail before trial
Money release is the default in most US counties, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics counts who that leaves behind.
Monica Cummings · August 26, 2026
Justice
How federal compassionate release works, and what the Supreme Court just narrowed
A judge can shorten a federal sentence already being served, but only through a specific statutory door. Two rulings on May 28, 2026 moved its frame.
Monica Cummings · August 15, 2026
Justice
Clemency explained: how pardon decisions are actually made
Thousands of petitions reach governors' and the president's desks, nearly all decided — or ignored — through advisory processes no court can review.
Monica Cummings · July 21, 2026
Justice
Record sealing and expungement: how a conviction actually disappears
Around 90 percent of people with records are eligible for some relief, research estimates, and only a small share ever get it — the paperwork is the barrier.
Monica Cummings · June 28, 2026