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.
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.
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
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
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
More than a dozen states now reallocate prisoners to their home addresses for redistricting, unwinding a count that inflated rural districts with people who cannot vote there.
Monica Cummings · June 6, 2026
The First Step Act promised early release for the dying and incapacitated, and the data shows the mechanism works when used — and is rarely used.
Monica Cummings · May 14, 2026