A majority of wrongful convictions have been tied to drug possession allegations that were brought on by corrupt police officers who targeted Black people, a new report revealed. The National Registry of Exonerations tallied 233 exonerations in 2022, of which a majority stemmed from patterns of misconduct by police officers. In addition, NRE researchers found […]
Christina Carrega
Christina Carrega is a criminal justice reporter at Capital B. Twitter @ChrisCarrega
Posted inCriminal Justice
Man Who Fatally Choked Jordan Neely Arraigned on Criminal Charge
The man who used a lethal choke hold on Jordan Neely inside a New York City subway car is facing a felony charge of second-degree manslaughter — but the Neely family’s attorneys say the charge doesn’t go far enough. Daniel Penny has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum sentence of […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Money
A Year After Tragedy Gripped Buffalo, Its Black Community Waits For Promises to be Kept
The Rev. Diann Holt lived in a food desert in Cold Springs, the Blackest community in Buffalo, New York, for most of her life — until a racist and deadly mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Markets supermarket last year. “I got sick of being deprived of what I should have,” she says about her […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Families and Survivors of Police Brutality Continue Their Call to End Qualified Immunity
Four years ago, Vicky Lewis was having a heart-to-heart conversation with her 17-year-old son about his future. He was killed 24 hours later. High school senior Isaiah Lewis was just two months away from turning 18 and three weeks from graduating when he was fatally shot on April 29, 2019, by a police officer in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
Prosecutor Cites ‘Racial Component’ in Shooting of Black Kansas City Teen
Kansas City, Missouri, activists and the family of a Black teen who was shot in the head by a white homeowner are frustrated by the investigation and question why it took so long for the shooter to be charged. The Clay County prosecutor’s office announced charges Monday against Andrew Lester and said there was a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
How This Democrat Wants to Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley wants to end the school-to-prison pipeline by passing legislation that would establish new federal grants to support schools and states committed to change. Schools across the country continue to implement unfair and discriminatory school disciplinary practices, such as suspension and expulsion, that affect Black children as early as preschool at disproportionate […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Family of Black Mom Shot 17 Times in the Back by Police Sues
Last summer, Jada Elizabeth Johnson was shot in the back 17 times by a police officer after she was disarmed and pinned down by another officer during a mental health crisis, according to a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed April 7, provides more details about what happened inside her grandfather’s Fayetteville, North Carolina, home on July […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
Sinzae Reed Was Killed Six Months Ago. His Admitted Killer Remains Free.
It has been six months since a Black teenager was shot to death within feet of his home in Columbus, Ohio, and prosecutors are still investigating whether his admitted killer should be charged. Sinzae Reed’s family and the community remain frustrated months after the 13-year-old was gunned down in October at the Wedgewood Village Apartments. […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘This Is Not Democracy’: Read Justin J. Pearson’s Comments on His Expulsion in Tennessee
Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson — one of two Black Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled on Thursday — fit himself into a long history of civil rights activism when he told reporters that he’ll “never shirk back from civil disobedience” because that kind of defiance is “what built this country.” Like his fellow Democrat […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘The World Is Watching’: Read Justin Jones’ Comments on His Expulsion in Tennessee
Justin Jones made it clear that “there comes a time when people get sick and tired of being sick and tired.” During an emotional seven-hour session on Thursday, Jones didn’t mince words. He was the first of two Black Tennessee lawmakers, both Democrats, to be expelled from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Hours later, his […]