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Is a recent policy shift that has caused states to rethink drug laws a sign that the war on drugs is over? Ohio, the latest state on the path to reduced drug sentences, doesn’t think so. Instead, legislators considering the current bill point to the need to reduce prison costs and refocus resources on violent, hardened criminals. As a result of the war on drugs, criminal drug sentences and incarceration rates have skyrocketed, overcrowding prisons and costing states millions of dollars a year that could be focused elsewhere....

A botched execution in Oklahoma led to the grisly death of a Death Row inmate on Tuesday. There had actually been two executions set for Tuesday, but after Clayton D. Lockett suffered complications in the execution chamber and later died of a heart attack, the planned execution of Charles F. Warner was stayed, reports The New York Times. What went wrong in this Oklahoma execution? Like many states, Oklahoma uses three drugs to sedate, immobilize, and stop breathing inmates scheduled for execution....

As parents have told children many times, “Don’t talk to strangers.” In this case, it’s “Don’t buy from strangers on Craigslist unless you’re at a safe zone.” A pregnant Colorado woman was attacked when she responded to a Craigslist ad to buy baby clothes. The victim went to the seller’s house alone. While there, the seller stabbed the victim in the stomach and cut out her fetus. The victim survived the stabbing after calling police....

The Detroit-area “porch shooter” who killed Renisha McBride was sentenced to at least 17 years in prison for her murder on Wednesday. Theodore Wafer was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for second degree murder, a minimum of seven years for manslaughter, and another two years for a felony firearm penalty, the Detroit Free Press reports. While the sentences for manslaughter and murder may be served concurrently, the firearm punishment must be served separately, giving Wafer at least 17 years in prison to consider his crime....

Home brewing is an ancient practice that’s the new cool thing to do. At its simplest you can start with just a cook pot and a stove. Yet, for serious brewers – and there are many – it can get complex, an adult chemistry project. As all of that suggests, it is legal to make alcohol at home. However, there limits on what types can be concocted. And no, you can’t turn your basement into a speakeasy....

Have you ever said something rude about someone and wished it hadn’t been overheard? That is what happened to Jared Leto, actor and lead for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. The musician was caught on video listening to and critiquing Taylor Swift songs while in his home studio seeking inspiration last year. He liked some of what Swift did but ultimately dismissed her music with an expletive, a moment he later regretted when he learned it was recorded....

Toyota has some explaining to do. The recent rash of Toyota recalls coupled with the sales halt of eight of its models indicates that there are potential safety hazards that not even Toyota knows how to fix. The New York Times blog writes how under federal regulations, a carmaker is not allowed to sell a car with known safety defects. The only way that a carmaker can sell a car with known defect is if can be defect that can be fixed....

Bob and Jane Cull of Mansfield, Texas, saw the light at the end of a long legal tunnel on March 2nd. On that day, the jury in their case against powerful home builders, Perry Homes, came back with an award in favor of the stubborn plaintiffs: $58 million. That may seem like an over-payment for a home defects case involving repairs on a house that only cost the couple $234,000 when they purchased it, but consider what they had to go through to get there....

Since the recent Wall Street bailout of 2008, the public’s trust still has not fully recovered in the banking establishment. The recent Wells Fargo scandal has lawmakers and the public demanding justice. However, justice in this case is not just restitution of the ill-gotten bank fees paid by victimized customers; the justice being demanded includes criminal charges against the bank’s CEO. Lawmakers have been pressing for a criminal investigation and for criminal charges against CEO John Stumpf....

The lawyers who helped acquit Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, are now petitioning the state of Florida to pay for their legal expenses, claiming they are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars under state law. Lead defense attorney Mark O’Mara explained Monday that he was preparing to file a motion with the district court requesting compensation for $200,000 to $300,000 for Zimmerman’s defense, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Why should the state have to pay for Zimmerman’s legal expenses?...

Maybe the show’s directors got a little bored, or maybe it was the laryngitis medicine Alicia Florrick was taking that made last night’s “The Good Wife” so trippy. Either way, we were lucky to get an hour-long peek into the lead character’s head and a glimpse at her thought process as she makes her biggest life, career, and legal decisions. Here’s what you need to know from last night’s episode, entitled “Mind’s Eye”:...

Payday loans are often thought of as predatory and unfair, but the fact is that high-interest payday loans are legal. At least in 33 states. Consumer protection groups have succeeded in limiting payday loan interest rates in 17 states and the District of Columbia. But only Georgia outlaws payday loans altogether. The other 33 states have exempted payday loans from “small loan” rate caps. This has led to annual interest rates (APR) well into the triple digits....

The United States Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to California’s ban on controversial “conversion therapy” for gay children. That means the statute is legal which prohibits licensed therapists from working with gay minors to change their sexual orientation to straight. It’s the second time the Court has passed on an appeal regarding the law, and while not an endorsement of the statute, declining to hear further challenges to the ban effectively leaves Ninth Circuit rulings in the state’s favor in effect....

You have probably seen a vibrantly healthy Jamie Lee Curtis on those Dannon Yogurt commercials telling America how Activia yogurt can boost the immune system and regulate the digestive system. Except, it may not. According to a report by ABC news, in a settlement reached last week, the Dannon corporation has agreed to pay a class of plaintiffs up to $45 million dollars to settle claims that Dannon charged more for a yogurt that provided no more benefit than your average carton of Yoplait....

A Broward County, Florida jury delivered a verdict against tobacco company Philip Morris over the death of a woman who smoked two packs of cigarettes each day from the time she was 16 years-old until she died in her late 70’s. The jury rendered a damages verdict in favor of Barbanell for $5.34 million, but apportioned liability between defendant Philip Morris (36.5%) and the late Shirley Barbanell (67.5%). You can see the jury’s verdict sheet against Philip Morris here:...

Ag-gag laws are intended to muzzle the voices of undercover journalists and animal rights activist looking to expose certain unethical practices in the agricultural community. Often, these journalists and activists use false pretenses in order to gain their employment, and then go rogue once inside the organization. The Iowa government wanted to criminalize this conduct, but the plaintiffs, and ultimately the judge, felt what was being criminalized was the speech, not the conduct, and therefore declared Iowa’s ag-gag law unconstitutional....

“Flowers, birthday card, Red Lobster, bowling.” These are the terms of a sentence handed down to Joseph Bray, a Florida man accused of domestic violence. Broward County Judge John Hurley felt the incident was “very, very minor” and that Bray’s wife could use a little romance. The underlying altercation allegedly began when Bray forgot to wish her a happy birthday. The lack of sentiment somehow led Joseph Bray to throw his wife onto the couch, explains the Sun-Sentinel....

No one likes to eat crow. Especially a principal. On May 28th, Addison Barnes wore a t-shirt to school, in anticipation of a class debate in his “People and Politics” class on immigration. The t-shirt said “Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co.” on the front, and “The Wall Just Got 10 Feet Taller” on the back. The assistant principal removed Barnes from the room and told him to cover the t-shirt because it offended at least one teacher and one student....

A man previously arrested for stalking actress Mila Kunis has been arrested again for stalking her. Apparently, he just can’t get enough. Stuart Lynn Dunn, 27, has been charged with stalking and violating a restraining order, the Associated Press reports. Dunn was arrested on two other occasions for stalking the “Black Swan” star earlier this year. He was ordered to stay away from Kunis after he was found living in an empty condo owned by the actress....

The Supreme Court announced a deadlock today in a case about an immigration reform measure by President Obama. It would have allowed millions of undocumented parents of American citizens and permanent residents to avoid deportation and live in the light. Texas led 26 states in opposing the Obama administration’s measure, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or DAPA. After the ruling’s release, the President issued a statement expressing regret that he could do no more for immigrants before his term ended....