Crime News
The Daily Signal reports on crime news with analysis and commentary on policies, crime rates, and policing debates.
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opinion
‘We Already Have Laws Against Murder’: Gov. Matt Bevin Explains Why Gun Control Isn’t Answer
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood about the call for gun control following the terrible shooting in Las Vegas. Watch the video above to get his take. And if you want to see his full Daily Signal interview, watch this: -
opinion
Here’s the Truth About Gun Control and Crime
“The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots. Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get,” Hillary Clinton tweeted. “Our grief isn’t enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening… -
opinion
Rushed Legislation Is a Thriving Industry in Washington. How Our Criminal Code Suffers as a Result.
A recent poll of senior congressional staff suggests what many Americans have long suspected: Lawmakers don’t have enough time and resources to do all of their work well. The poll, released in August by the nonprofit Congressional Management Foundation, found that most respondents believed “senators and representatives lack the necessary time and resources to understand,… -
news
Conservatives Balk at Talk of Trump Amnesty Deal With Democrats
President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders asserted that they haven’t reached a deal to give legal status to those who came to the country illegally as children—but one seems to be pending. “It’s a negotiating trick, and one that Mr. Art of the Deal has fallen for,” @MarkSKrikorian says. “We’re working on a plan—subject to… -
news
Deputy Attorney General Says Rule of Law Is About ‘Character of the People’ Enforcing the Law
The Constitution’s 230th anniversary is Sept. 17, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says it is incumbent on the American people to help preserve the rule of law as the Founders intended. “On Constitution Day, it is appropriate to keep in mind that although the power of the federal government is vast, it is expressly… -
opinion
North Carolina’s Golden Opportunity to Tackle Predatory Criminal Code
It may only be September, but lawmakers in North Carolina have a key opportunity to do some spring cleaning. Like in many states, North Carolina’s criminal codes are overburdened by an excessive number of crimes, thereby feeding into the problem of overcriminalization. The state also suffers from an extremely powerful and overly prohibitive occupational licensing… -
opinion
Do We Need 641 Penalties for Nonviolent Drug Crime After Punishment?
Federal laws and regulations carry more than 600 restrictions that may be applied to those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, according to a new government report. The report from the Government Accountability Office, published last week, contains the results of a yearlong study of what are called federal “collateral consequences”: civil restrictions on the rights… -
opinion
In Positive Turn, Justice Department Prosecuting Wrongdoers Rather Than Cutting Deals to Win Fines
Federal prosecutors have accused a group of U.S. postal workers servicing the Atlanta area of taking bribes in exchange for delivering shipments of illegal drugs. U.S. Attorney John Horn said, “For cash in their pockets they were willing to endanger themselves and the residents on their routes and bring harmful drugs into the community.” Contrast… -
opinion
Betsy DeVos Stands Up for Due Process Rights in Campus Sexual Assault Cases
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced in a speech Thursday that she will roll back an Obama-era “guidance” document that drove colleges to implement Star Chamber-like tribunals to mishandle sexual assault cases. The guidance forced colleges to weaken already minimal due process protections for those accused of rape and sexual assault, and threatened schools that refused… -
news
Trump’s Justice Department Still Defending Obama Contraception Mandate
Advocates for religious liberty are dismayed that little has changed with respect to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, even after President Donald Trump signed a religious freedom executive order earlier this year. “I believe the president is committed to religious freedom and that Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions is a good man. But their goals simply haven’t… -
opinion
Why Are Trump’s Justice Department Appointees Protecting the IRS?
Various media sources have reported that federal District Court Judge Reggie Walton has ordered the IRS to finally respond to various legal requests for information and documents made by the conservative tea party organizations that sued the agency. But the question that no one is asking is why that order was even necessary, and why… -
news
Trump Justice Department Ends Operation Choke Point
Republican House members announced Friday that the Justice Department has ended the controversial Obama-era program targeting payday lenders, gun shops, and other legal businesses, in response to several House Republicans who requested Operation Choke Point be shut down. “This is no way for law enforcement to operate,” House Republicans say. “We share your view that… -
news
Hate Crime or Domestic Terrorism? How Charlottesville Federal Legal Case Could Proceed
The federal civil rights investigation into the weekend violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, could involve domestic terrorism and hate crime charges and isn’t limited to the driver who plowed his vehicle into a crowd of people, according to the Trump administration. Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday, “It… -
news
Justice Department Opens Civil Rights Probe of Violence in Charlottesville
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the violence surrounding an aborted white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hours after a young man said to have white supremacist sympathies drove a car through a group of counterprotesters Saturday in the city's downtown, killing a woman, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a late-night… -
opinion
How Did the Democrats’ IT Scandal Suspects Get Here?
Here is a radical proposition: The public has a right to know the immigration status and history of foreign criminal suspects. Their entrance and employment sponsorship records should not be treated like classified government secrets—especially if the public’s tax dollars subsidized their salaries. In March, I contacted the D.C. offices of House congressional Democrats Joaquin… -
news
Chicago Sues Justice Department Over Withholding Funds to Sanctuary Cities
The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday against the Department of Justice, claiming its policy of withholding federal funding to sanctuary cities is unconstitutional and constitutes blackmail. The suit names Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the defendant. It contests Sessions’ July announcement that the Justice Department will not provide Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program… -
opinion
Corruption Is Holding Back Democracy and Prosperity in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, a huge and beautiful country that straddles the Great Rift Valley just north of the equator in Africa, traces its history to biblical times. Blessed with a long growing season and rich agricultural land, it is also a nation in political turmoil—albeit also one that is a key U.S. ally and partner in the… -
news
Florida Republican Asks Attorney General to Look Into Former House IT Aide’s Finances
A House Republican from Florida this week urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to determine whether any U.S. financial institutions have reported suspicious banking activity by a former information technology aide to a Florida Democrat who until last year headed the national party. Imran Awan; his wife, Hina Alvi; his brothers; and his best friend are… -
news
Jeff Sessions Warns Sanctuary Cities About Missing Out on Help to Fight Crime
Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited a reported sexual assault by an illegal immigrant in Portland, Oregon, to explain why the Justice Department will continue cracking down on sanctuary cities that receive federal funds. “Cities and states with so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies make all of us less safe,” @JeffSessions says. If a municipality wants access to its… -
news
New Calls for Criminal Investigation of Obama Aides in ‘Unmasking’ Scandal
New calls are coming in for the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into the “unmasking” scandal swirling around a cluster of former Obama administration officials. The calls came as House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., identified a fourth Obama national security official as a “person of interest” who improperly…