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Closing Argument

Each week, Closing Argument will walk readers through the latest news and best links on one topic in the criminal legal system. Our goal is to make these complex issues digestible without sacrificing detail, context or nuance.

A large group of people stand in a circle on the sidewalk near an intersection, holding candles for a vigil.
Closing Argument December 2
What’s a Hate Crime? Depends on Where You Live
A hodgepodge of state and local laws makes some violence a hate crime in some places, but not in others.
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Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wears a black mourning band over his badge during a press conference at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station on Sept. 18, 2023.
Closing Argument November 18
Four Suicides in L.A. and the Mental Health Problem in Law Enforcement
Four suspected suicides in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department highlight a problem affecting agencies across the country.
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A woman, wearing a blue "March for Our Lives" shirt and black blazer, holds a sign that reads, "If my domestic abuser had a gun, I'd be dead." Standing to her left is a person holding a sign that reads, "Disarm domestic violence."
Closing Argument November 11
Supreme Court Takes on Gun Cases as State Laws Shift
The court is considering the safety of victims of domestic violence, bump stocks and more.
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A musical band of Black men are playing instruments, such as a saxophone, guitar, piano, bass guitar and drums. They play behind bars in a room.
Closing Argument November 4
The Prison Soul Band That Opened for Stevie Wonder
The band The Power of Attorney flourished when more Americans saw incarcerated people as more than their crimes.
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Three SWAT team members, wearing helmets, green uniforms and protective gear with the label "SHERIFF" on their backs, hold assault rifles while standing on a staircase.
Closing Argument October 28
They Shot at Police. Were They Standing Their Ground?
No-knock raids often end in tragedy — and some civilians face prosecution for shooting back.
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A elderly Palestinian man, wearing a black puffer jacket, hugs another Palestinian man.
Closing Argument October 21
Hate Crimes Rose in 2022 — and Concerns Remain High
The latest FBI data comes as Jewish and Muslim groups fear a rise in attacks.
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The Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, where men on death row are held in solitary confinement.
Closing Argument October 14
A Chaotic Moment For The Death Penalty
Political and legal opinions are shifting on mental illness and capital punishment, but those on death row may be left behind.
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A White woman, wearing a red and pink patterned shirt, speaks into several news microphones inside a conference room. A male lawyer, in a red tie and blue pinstriped suit, sits next to her with his hands clasped on the table.
Closing Argument October 7
A Death in Dallas, and a Family’s Long Fight for Justice
Tony Timpa called police for help and died pinned to the ground. Seven years later, his family is still trying to hold officers accountable.
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A woman, wearing a KN95 mask, black cardigan, blue blouse, and black pants, walks in front of a sign that reads "Los Angeles Superior Court Clara Shortridge Foltz Courthouse."
Closing Argument September 30
Should Money Decide Who is Kept in Jail? More Locations Are Saying No.
Los Angeles and Illinois are the latest jurisdictions to change their cash bail system.
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A barbed wire fence surrounds a tan-colored building.
Closing Argument September 23
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
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