criminal justice system

WTF?! Texas judge ordered electric shocks to silence man on trial. Conviction thrown out.

WTF?!  Texas judge ordered electric shocks to silence man on trial. Conviction thrown out.

In Tarrant County, Tex., defendants are sometimes strapped with a stun belt around their legs. The devices are used to deliver a shock in the event the person gets violent or attempts to escape.

But in the case of Terry Lee Morris, the device was used as punishment for refusing to answer a judge’s questions properly during his 2016 trial.

The irrationality of modern drugs laws, in one chart

The irrationality of modern drugs laws, in one chart

The treaties and laws governing how drugs are regulated by nations were, for the most part, written a half-century or more ago. And while the science surrounding drugs and drug use has advanced rapidly over that time, the laws have barely evolved.

As a result, there is little correlation between the dangers of various drugs and the stringency of laws regulating their use.

Montana County May Jail Pregnant Woman for Substance Abuse Despite Doctor's Advice

Montana County May Jail Pregnant Woman for Substance Abuse Despite Doctor's Advice

MT County May Jail Pregnant Women For Substance Abuse, Despite Doctors’ Advice

County Attorney Gerald “Jay” Harris said his office will seek civil restraining orders against those pregnant women. When there are “provable” violations of such orders, the county will ask for jail time in order to “incapacitate” the mothers, according to a Jan. 11 press release announcing the new policy.

Harris encouraged the public to report instances of mothers-to-be drinking or using drugs to the sheriff.