Challenged about his use of the death penalty, Cleveland prosecutor Michael O'Malley says his views “have certainly evolved” since he last sent anyone to death row.

But he also said that there are still circumstances where he might seek it: boltsmag.org/cleveland-pros…

Chicago activists have long warned traffic stops are the new 'stop-and-frisk.' Police leadership in the city has denied racial discrimination, but new Superintendent Larry Snelling has pledged to reduce stops by training officers on different tactics. boltsmag.org/dexter-reed-ch…

Precinct-level election data is a foundation for Voting Rights Act lawsuits. So why is it so hard to obtain? boltsmag.org/election-data-…

The organization Arizona for Abortion Access is championing a constitutional amendment protecting abortion that may be on the November ballot.

“That is the most durable protection we can have here in our state,” says a spokesperson for the group. boltsmag.org/arizona-aborti…

Ed Chapman spent 14 years on North Carolina’s death row before being exonerated in 2008 after a judge ordered a new trial and a district attorney dropped the charges.

He's now joined a campaign to push the governor to grant mass clemency: boltsmag.org/north-carolina…

Georgia Democrat John Barrow ran for his state supreme court in 2020 — only to have GOP officials exploit a loophole that wound up outright canceling the election. He's making a second attempt in November: boltsmag.org/your-state-by-…

Louisiana last month passed legislation giving more control of the budget for capital punishment defense to Governor Jeff Landry, a death penalty supporter who has already signed legislation to resume executions in the state. boltsmag.org/jeff-landry-lo…

The policing of Black drivers in Chicago has ramped up in recent years.

“The strategy ends up creating a dangerous situation for everyone rather than contributing to any improvement of public safety in Chicago,” one attorney told Bolts. boltsmag.org/dexter-reed-ch…

Tamika Wooten, a Democrat running for Maricopa County prosecutor, has promised that she won’t pursue prosecutions under Arizona's abortion ban if elected.

“That is a very serious and personal decision,” she told Bolts. “It's not my business.” boltsmag.org/arizona-aborti…

A Maryland bill that would have made the state the second to automatically register people to vote as they leave prison stalled in the Senate by the end of the state’s legislative session: thedailyrecord.com/2024/04/19/aut…

Tamika Wooten, a Democrat running for Maricopa County prosecutor, has promised that she won’t pursue prosecutions under Arizona's abortion ban if elected.

“That is a very serious and personal decision,” she told Bolts. “It's not my business.” boltsmag.org/arizona-aborti…

Traffic stops in Chicago surged after the city agreed to reform its stop-and-frisk practices — even rapid response cops, who are supposed to handle 911 calls, have been assigned to the beat. boltsmag.org/dexter-reed-ch…

Former members of Alabama's parole board blame declining prison releases on pressure from the governor and attorney general. 

“There were cases where I did not vote to parole even though I knew I needed to because I was afraid of losing my job.”

boltsmag.org/alabama-parole…

With no precinct-level election database in New York, voting rights lawyer Perry Grossman spends hours gathering results, often dealing with unresponsive local election offices.

“I shouldn’t have to threaten to sue counties to get this data,” he said. boltsmag.org/election-data-…

Maricopa County’s GOP prosecutor Rachel Mitchell has said that women would not be “prosecuted for receiving an abortion,” but she is not addressing whether she would file charges against medical providers. boltsmag.org/arizona-aborti…

In Montana, conservatives are hoping to gain ground on the state’s liberal-leaning supreme court this November thanks to the retirement of two justices long targeted by the right. boltsmag.org/your-state-by-…

Arizona prosecutors appear to be outsourcing prosecutions under the state's 1864 abortion ban to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the far-right legal org that is also defending Idaho's bans on abortion and transgender care in front of SCOTUS free of charge boltsmag.org/arizona-aborti…

Traffic stops in Chicago's Black neighborhoods surged after the city agreed to reform its stop-and-frisk practices.

“This kind of stop has nothing to do with traffic safety,” says an ACLU advocate. “It is all about trying to search for guns and drugs.” boltsmag.org/dexter-reed-ch…

From the legislature to attorney general candidates, Pennsylvanians decided some key primaries yesterday.

Results are still coming in, and our cheat sheet will be updated as they do! boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

A safe injection site bill that has once again died in Colorado, Colorado Politics reports: coloradopolitics.com/news/for-secon…