Black Lives Matter Coverage

The murder trial of Derek Chauvin—the white former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd—began on Monday, 10 months following Floyd’s death and the ensuing protests it sparked across the nation. In May, Chauvin, along with two other police officers, arrested Floyd for allegedly using a counterfeit bill in… Read more »

Minnesota Judge Peter Cahill denied motions for continuance and change of venue on Friday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the man charged with the murder of George Floyd. In its memorandum to the court, the defense argued that “a fair trial cannot be had for Mr. Chauvin in Hennepin or… Read more »

Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill announced on Thursday that former police officer Derek Chauvin will face an additional charge of third-degree murder. The decision came on the third day of the much-anticipated trial for the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin already faces second-degree manslaughter and… Read more »

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Olu Stevens granted a motion to dismiss all charges against Kenneth Walker on Monday. Walker, who was Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, was originally charged with assault and attempted murder after shooting Louisville Metropolitan Police Officer Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the leg on the night that Taylor was… Read more »

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the Hennepin County District Court must reconsider a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, the police officer who will stand trial on March 8 for killing George Floyd. The Hennepin County District Court originally dismissed the charge against Chauvin for “lack of probable… Read more »

A federal judge Friday granted motions by Whole Foods and parent company Amazon to dismiss complaints by employees who allege Title VII violations over wearing Black Lives Matter (BLM) face masks. Plaintiffs, a group of nearly 30 employees of Whole Foods and Amazon, alleged that the defendants violated Title VII… Read more »

New York State Senator Samra Brouk on Monday introduced legislation that would ban police use of “any chemical agent … against any minor in any circumstance.” The bill is in response to the local police’s use of pepper spray against a nine-year-old girl last Friday. The police arrived on the scene following… Read more »

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Thursday for its handling of peaceful protests and use of excessive force. In her complaint, James argued that the NYPD unjustifiably used pepper spray and batons against Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in violation… Read more »

The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL), the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) announced Thursday that they have assembled an international Commission of Inquiry to investigate racist police violence against people of African descent in the United States. In June of 2020, the… Read more »

Two Louisville police officers were fired Wednesday for their roles in Breonna Taylor’s death, which sparked protests against police racial violence last summer. Taylor was killed last March when officers performed a no-knock warrant on her house. Neighbors testified that they did not hear police announce themselves before breaking in.… Read more »

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday that it would not file federal criminal charges against two Cleveland police officers involved in the 2014 shooting of 12 year old Tamir Rice. The lengthy statement began with an overview of the relevant law, which requires the government to “prove… Read more »

The US Supreme Court on Monday vacated the decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Mckesson v. Doe, a case arising out of the Black Lives Matter movement. The case stems from a demonstration to protest the death of Alton Sterling, a Black man who… Read more »

The New York Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society filed a lawsuit Monday against the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Mayor Bill de Blasio over police violence against protesters following the murder of George Floyd. The suit names de Blasio, along with the City of New York,… Read more »

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill Thursday dismissed a third-degree murder charge against Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd. The Minnesota judge denied the motion to dismiss the second-degree murder and murder counts against him and three other officers for aiding and abetting. The defense advanced the… Read more »

Several environmental nonprofit organizations brought a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Wednesday, alleging the agency broke environmental laws by suppressing protests in Portland, Oregon with tear gas and other chemical munitions without first measuring the chemicals’ impacts on human health and the environment. The Northwest Center… Read more »

Every Wednesday afternoon for years, Black Lives Matter activists and their partners chanted a simple demand outside the Los Angeles County Hall of Justice: “Jackie Lacey Must Go!” Elected in 2012, District Attorney Lacey presided over the largest prosecutorial office in the United States. These protests and the frustrations that… Read more »

Breonna Taylor’s killing is not only a tragedy, but a great injustice. The Kentucky Attorney General, despite having the power to contribute to repairing this unconscionable wrong, has failed. The Kentucky attorney general announced that no criminal charges will be filed for Breonna Taylor’s death against the individual officers who… Read more »

The nation has watched aghast as, over and over again, police have killed or maimed unarmed persons of color. Each time, the police have acted with impunity under a quiescent criminal justice system. The charges filed against officers involved in the death of George Floyd are the exception, not the… Read more »

The wanton endangerment charges did not do justice for your murder. We all know that and, from beyond the grave, we know you and all the ancestors know that. Your death is considered by the state to be unworthy of state interest. This endemic dysfunctionalism is evidenced by both federal… Read more »

El dicho, “El elefante en la habitación,” es comúnmente utilizado para referirse a un gran problema que dos o más personas son conscientes de, pero el cual se sienten incómodos de discutir. Por eso, ellos escogen ignorar el elefante. ¡Una cosa que nuestra nación finalmente se ha dado cuenta es… Read more »

“The elephant in the room” is a saying that is commonly used when referring to a huge issue that two or more people are aware of, but feel uncomfortable addressing. Hence, they simply choose to ignore it. One thing that our nation today seems to have finally realized is that… Read more »

En Irvine, enclavada en el corazón del rico condado de Orange, California, y escondido en un parque empresarial con jardines y paisajes cuidados y vibrantes, existe una cárcel vacía. La cárcel James A. Musick, manejado por el Departamento del Sheriff del condado de Orange, un departamento conocido por sus escándalos,… Read more »

In Irvine, nestled in the heart of wealthy Orange County, California, hidden within a technology business park replete with vibrant, meticulously manicured landscaping, sits an empty jail. The unnecessary James A. Musick Facility, operated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, a department known for scandal, violence, and negligence, is slated… Read more »

Here we go again. Some men looking all virile in camo and wearing masks or in black outfits it seems are grabbing people off the street and hauling them into vans. In Portland and in Columbus, Ohio. And these camo men are apparently on their way to Chicago. Everyone is… Read more »

The names Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have been spoken in virtually every American household during 2020. As the Black Lives Matter movement gains unprecedented growth and media attention, many White sympathizers are asking themselves (some for the first time): “how can I help effectuate real change?” That… Read more »