The former police officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson while she was babysitting her then-8-year-old nephew has been sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for the fatal shooting in Fort Worth, Texas. Aaron Dean, who is white, was convicted of manslaughter for the October 2019 shooting, which followed a non-emergency call from a concerned neighbor […]
Christina Carrega
Christina Carrega is the criminal justice reporter at Capital B. Follow her on Bluesky @chriscarrega.bsky.social.
Posted inEducation, HBCUs
An HBCU Student’s Viral Classroom Arrest Sparks Alarm and Anger on Campus
Distressing cellphone video of police officers arresting a student at a North Carolina HBCU following a verbal altercation with her professor has reignited debate about the use of law enforcement in education and has some people wondering: Where are Black students safe? Police at Winston-Salem State University arrested the student in front of her class […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
‘Vocal and Unafraid’: How Justice Jackson Is Talking About Race on the Supreme Court
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made history when she took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court at the term’s opening in October, becoming the first Black woman on the bench in its 233-year history. Just a couple of months in, the Biden appointee has made waves on the nation’s high court, quickly building a reputation […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
New Laws Protecting Sexual Assault Survivors Don’t Bring Justice for All
There has been a gradual wave of reform efforts across the country granting sexual assault survivors more time to sue their alleged abusers. With New York’s Adult Survivor Act taking effect last month, about half of states have either eliminated or expanded their statute of limitations on sexual offenses, including five states just this year. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Lawmakers Pass Bill That Would Expand Maternal Health Care in Prisons
The effort to improve conditions for pregnant people in federal prisons took a step forward Thursday when the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would expand resources and restrict solitary confinement before, during, and after labor. The Pregnant Women in Custody Act, first introduced by California Rep. Karen Bass four years ago, would provide […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
Racist Buffalo Shooter Pleads Guilty, but Healing for Families Is Uncertain
Buffalo, New York, residents expressed relief that justice will be served in state court after a self-proclaimed white supremacist pleaded guilty Monday to killing 10 Black people in a neighborhood grocery store this spring. But some are concerned that the many lingering questions about the horrendous attack will remain unanswered without a public trial. The […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Justice For Sex Assault Survivors Expands Behind Bars and Across the U.S.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Adult Survivor Act will go into effect in New York, allowing over 750 formerly incarcerated individuals to file civil lawsuits against the state for failing to protect them from sexual violence they say they experienced while in prison. The new law is part of a wave of reforms across the country […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
The Important Election Wins You Might Have Overlooked
With eyes focused on federal races that will decide the balance of power in Congress, it’s easy to overlook the elections of state leaders whose powers will directly impact Black communities. From California to Massachusetts, Black candidates were elected to critical roles that influence how elections are carried out, how justice is rendered, and what […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Why So Many Black Candidates Struggled in the Midterm Elections
Several Black candidates made history on election night: Democrat Wes Moore became Maryland’s first Black governor. Maxwell Frost, a 25-year-old progressive activist, won his bid to become the youngest member of Congress. And in Pennsylvania, voters elected their first Black U.S. representative, Democrat Summer Lee. But for many more — particularly those whose names topped […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Black Voters Turn Out to Polls Despite Election Day Confusion
Black voters were at the center of legal disputes and polling-site confusion on Election Day, as voting rights advocates responded to allegations of intimidation at the polls and Republican interference in ballot counts. In Philadelphia, election officials made a last-minute change to the ballot-count process on Tuesday that could delay the vote tally for days, […]