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
Exxon Mobil Fights the Abusive Behavior of Democrat Attorney General’s Climate Inquisition
Exxon Mobil Corp. is fighting back against New York’s Democrat attorney general who is demanding decades’ worth of documents about the company’s position on global warming and climate change. On Oct. 17, Exxon asked a federal judge in Texas, Ed Kinkeade, to stop the abusive behavior of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman by tossing…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Germany Threatens Facebook With Criminal Action for ‘Hate Speech’ Violations
Last month, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas suggested that Facebook and Twitter could be held criminally liable if they do not step up their efforts to remove content considered “incitement to hatred” according to the Financial Times. Among Maas’ contentions were that Facebook was more likely to remove content that was flagged by a government-funded…Jamie Gregora -
- Opinion
From Apples to Soup: How the Administrative State Creates Food Crimes
What do cottage cheese, “extra fancy” apples, and chicken noodle soup all have in common? It’s a crime to sell any of them without meeting arcane federal regulatory standards. Heritage Foundation scholars James Gattuso and Diane Katz write in their 2016 report, “Red Tape Rising,” that the costs of federal regulations “have not been fully…David Rosenthal -
- Opinion
The All-Out Assault on the First Amendment
The Constitution has long been subject to attacks from individuals hostile to its guarantees of freedom, economic opportunity, and limited government, but in recent days no other provision has been as widely and intensely attacked as the First Amendment. From the IRS targeting conservative groups to those trying to limit the ability of Americans to…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Improper Recycling Could Land You in Jail: How Overcriminalization Threatens Everyone
Criminal laws and regulations in the United States have increased to absurd proportions in the past few decades, posing a growing threat to our constitutional liberties. There are nearly 5,000 criminal laws and an estimated 300,000 or more criminal regulations at the federal level alone. In fact, there are so many possible criminal offenses that…Jacob Weaver -
- Opinion
Fighting the Good Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria
The Heritage Foundation was on the road in West Africa carrying the message of economic freedom. One of our stops was Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is the largest city in Africa (its metro area population exceeds 20 million) and Nigeria has the largest population (by some estimates nearly 180 million) among the 54 countries on that…James M. Roberts -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Should Make Decision That Upholds That Congress, Not Agencies, Should Make Criminal Law
As the United States Supreme Court begins its new term next Monday, one of the first cases it will hear is Salman v. United States, a significant criminal case involving insider trading, one of the murkiest areas of criminal law. In 2004, Bassam Salman, a grocery wholesaler, received valuable inside information from his brother-in-law-to-be Michael…John G. Malcolm -
- News
Cruz, Lee Step Up Claims That Justice Department Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Churches
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are pressing their case that the Department of Justice favors abortion clinics over churches, demanding that the law enforcement agency take steps to ensure “the rights of all American citizens”—not just some—are protected. In a letter sent Tuesday, obtained first by The Daily Signal, Cruz…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
It’s Rude to Put Your Feet on Subway Seat, but It Shouldn’t Be a Crime
A freelance reporter recently publicized her shocking evening in a New York City jail cell following her arrest while riding the subway. One might think conduct would have to be quite outrageous to justify arrest on the nation’s busiest subway system. What was she doing to bother fellow passengers to the point that she needed…David Rosenthal -
- Opinion
The Great George Washington Bridge Scandal, Part II
The federal traffic-jam prosecution of two former officials in New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration begins this week. The officials reduced access for one week to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, to New York as political payback against the mayor of Fort Lee for not supporting their boss in his re-election…Paul J. Larkin -
- Opinion
‘Bridgegate’ Was Stupid, Not Criminal: DOJ Indictment Oversteps
This week, the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal goes to trial, with former officials in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration facing serious charges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Not since London Bridge came falling down in 1281 has an overpass caused such a stir. The backstory: In 2013, Christie was running for re-election. Like every…Paul J. Larkin -
- Opinion
What the Media, Academics Get Wrong When They Blame Crime Rate on Poverty, Discrimination
Some are puzzled by the dishonesty, lack of character, and sheer stupidity of many people in the media. But seeing as most of them are college graduates, they don’t bear the full blame. They are taught by dishonest and irresponsible academics. Let’s look at it. “A Clash of Police Policies,” a column written by Thomas…Walter E. Williams -
- News
Obama Attends Final Economic Summit Amid Concerns of Cronyism, Corruption
President Barack Obama heads to China on Friday to participate in his final G-20 leaders summit—marking a legacy critics say has left America weaker on the global economic front. While still the world’s largest economy, the United States has experienced weak growth since the Great Recession because of policies that make America less competitive, said…Fred Lucas -
- News
She Never Committed a Crime. But Albuquerque Seized Her Car, and Won’t Give It Back.
Arlene Harjo had let her son borrow her car time and time again, and never had any issues. But in April, Arlene’s son, Tino Harjo, was arrested for drunk driving, and police seized the car he was driving. The 2014 Nissan Versa belonged to Arlene, 56, and now she is forced to maneuver through the…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Should Police Be Able to Take Property Without Charging Owners With a Crime? One Sheriff Race Shows Split on Issue
In a sheriff’s race in one Oklahoma county, the question of whether police can and should be able to seize people’s property without charging them with a crime emerged as a wedge issue, highlighting the split among law enforcement on a controversial tool known as civil asset forfeiture. In June, voters hit the polls and…Melissa Quinn -
- News
After Crimea ‘Incursions,’ Russia and Ukraine Step Back From All-Out War
KYIV, Ukraine—In a familiar cycle of brinksmanship, Russia and Ukraine once again edged toward the brink of open war last week, only for the bellicose rhetoric and military posturing to dissipate rapidly, leaving the conflict in eastern Ukraine no closer to a long-term solution. Russia’s successor spy agency to the KGB, the Federal Security Service,…Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
DEA Targets Innocent Americans, Accessing Travel Data to Seize Cash via Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws
Well-meaning laws designed to nab high-level criminals have been twisted to siphon off money from law-abiding American citizens. The latest abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws involves air and rail travelers being targeted and fleeced by a federal agency. The Drug Enforcement Administration is pulling Americans’ travel data en masse from airline and Amtrak records,…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
Texas Gets the Best Deal It Could With DOJ on Voter ID for the Election
It looks as if Texas, the Justice Department, and all of the other parties, including the NAACP, involved in the challenge to the state’s voter ID law have worked out an interim settlement—and the district court judge approved the deal today after a telephonic hearing Wednesday morning. That deal is probably about the best deal…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
These Gun Owners Are Least Likely Criminals, Report Finds
Concealed-carry permit holders are nearly the most law-abiding demographic of Americans, a new report by the Crime Prevention Research Center says—comparing the permit holders foremost with police. “Indeed, it is impossible to think of any other group in the U.S. that is anywhere near as law-abiding,” says the report, titled “Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Forget Zika, Urban Crime Is the Real Threat to Rio’s Olympic Games
Much has been said about the risks Zika virus presents to tourists and athletes visiting Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics. Several competitors decided to skip the games because of the epidemic. But the fact is, crime is a much bigger threat, and the numbers prove that. It is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the…Ana Quintana