In this five-part series, data analyst David Stasior argues that AI has made it possible to turn court and disciplinary records into data at scale, allowing the rule of law to be measured rather than just assumed. Part 1 made the case, and Part 2 put it to work on 24 years of Massachusetts attorney [...]
“Where are you, Sepehr?” The question is not philosophical when it is first spoken. It is a question asked by a body that has been deprived of the body it seeks. Somewhere inside an unidentified warehouse, thousands of corpses lie beneath identical coverings, arranged without the distinctions through which the living ordinarily recognize one another. [...]
The State of Michigan has an opportunity to go above and beyond the minimum for all its voters. Given the stakes of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections and the challenges it will likely present, Michigan must expand early in-person voting beyond the mandatory nine days, up to the full 29 days authorized by law. Nationwide, [...]
Article 14(3)(f) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees free interpreter assistance to defendants who cannot understand or speak the language used in court. When a state fails to provide it, the obligation remains, but the practical burden falls on the defendant. Having faced criminal charges in Taiwan, a country whose [...]
As a US immigration lawyer who has spent years dealing with visa problems involving Russian citizens, I initially saw the recent report concerning Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov as another consular issue. Once I started looking at the rules that apply, however, it became clear that ordinary visa law only takes the analysis so [...]
In this five-part series, data analyst David Stasior argues that AI has made it possible to turn court and disciplinary records into data at scale, allowing the rule of law to be measured rather than just assumed. Part 1 made the case, and Part 2 put it to work on 24 years of Massachusetts attorney [...]
“A government of laws, and not of men.” John Adams (1775) What if US President Donald J. Trump gives the order to launch nuclear weapons? If the order appeared incoherent or irrational to designated commanders, would these military officers still follow it without question, on decisional “autopilot”? Or would they correctly acknowledge that chain-of-command obligations [...]
In July, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released an updated Youth Justice: A Guidebook for Legislators and refreshed its Juvenile Justice Toolkit. The timing matters. State lawmakers continue to confront questions about age of jurisdiction, diversion, transfer to adult court, restorative justice, and data reporting while trying to balance rehabilitation, accountability, and public [...]
The Department of Justice has moved to enter a Minnesota assault case on the side of the defendant. Hennepin County charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with two counts of second-degree assault for allegedly pointing his gun at two motorists. Morgan sought to move the case to federal court, claiming [...]
“I’m scared of those women in chadors.” “There’s nothing to be scared of. Not all of them are supporters of the government. Look at my aunts. They dress like that.” “Yeah, but you can’t trust them. Look at the way they’re looking at me. I feel like they’re going to come and choke me. I’m [...]
