Are the CIA torture tapes next? | New questions raised about prosecutor who cleared Bush officials in U.S. Attorney firings
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Four days before Nora Dannehy was appointed to investigate the Bush administration’s U.S. attorney firing scandal, a team of lawyers she led was found to have illegally suppressed evidence in a major political corruption case. Andrew Kreig writes that this previously unreported fact calls her entire investigation into question as well as that of a similar investigation by her colleague John Durham of DOJ and CIA decision-making involving torture.

Extreme prosecution, extreme sentence | Another look at the Kerik case
COMMENTARY
The judge in the corruption trial of Bernard Kerik, acting at the request of prosecutors, suppressed testimony that could have been helpful to the former New York police commissioner. Taking a hard look at these events is Andrew Kreig, founder of a project that examines high-visibility white collar crimes.

| Writer charges abuse of justice in the Kerik case
COMMENTARY
Andrew Kreig, who is forming a group to promote oversight of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct, says the former New York police commissioner was a victim of overly aggressive, improper tactics.

The press as ‘ventriloquists’ dummies | Covering prosecutors calls for tough-minded reporters
COMMENTARY
Writer Andrew Kreig cites concern over abusive prosecutorial conduct and suggests approaches for reporters to dig a little deeper. A question: Was Ted Stevens targeted to deflect from the overwhelming pursuit of Democrats, not Republicans, under Bush?

How much is too much? | It’s time to re-examine the Three Strikes Law
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Most of those sentenced under California’s tough, 15-year-old system are drug users, not violent criminals. In addition, at a time when the state is going broke, long-term incarceration is very expensive—$1.225 million per inmate over 25 years.

A wake-up call for journalists | A court case of vital importance
COMMENTARY
The decision in Wyeth v. Levine could determine whether documents that expose massive, lethal misconduct are accessible to reporters and the public.

Appointed judges | Unaccountable for life
COMMENTARY
Is appointing judges a better alternative than letting the public elect them? George Lardner, Jr., takes issue with a New York Times article that seems to argue that the failure of the media to cover judicial issues is reason enough to scuttle elections in favor of out-of-sight, out-of-mind appointments.

A Sentencing Project report | The candidates on the legal justice system
COMMENTARY
Where McCain, Clinton, Obama stand on the death penalty, crack cocaine sentencing, minimum sentencing and other issues.

Pursuing justice | How trusting should reporters be of law enforcement?
SHOWCASE
A small paper in Virginia recently produced an extraordinary 24-page special report on the authorities' relentless pursuit of the wrong man in a serial-killing case -- relating a series of missed clues, bad judgments, false statements and broken promises. Pamela Gould of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star writes that the prosecution of Darrell Rice is a case study in why reporters need to be more skeptical of what police and prosecutors assert without proof – particularly when they are making assertions that go far beyond the actual charges.

Justice at work | Don't bother them with news stories
COMMENTARY
Reporters in Iowa may be busy with the caucuses but they could have found time to cover a really questionable extortion case against a gay Democratic state senator.

A plea for humility | How can we better prevent fatal error in capital cases?
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George Washington law professor and author Robert Cottrol walks reporters through questions they need to ask in covering capital trials, and raises the issue of how juries and jurists should deal with ‘lingering doubt.’

Crack vs. powder | Time to change cocaine sentencing minimums?
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Is the possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine equivalent to the sale of 500 grams of powdered cocaine? The laws say it is but the Sentencing Commission and other experts don’t agree.

Extra! Extra! | Secret criminal trials in DC, cops ill on meth, bloody highways
SHOWCASE
Investigative reporting round-up: 18% of DC criminal trials are conducted in total secrecy; Utah officials show little sympathy for police who die or get very sick busting meth labs, and more.

Oversight | Cobell v. Norton, ‘A window on the balance of power in Washington’
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D.C. attorney Lee Helfrich writes: “Cobell …has included several instances of overt deception, intentional and negligent destruction of records, and efforts to mute truthful testimony. Any District of Columbia litigator would know better than to try this stuff with Lamberth on the bench.”

Reporting the prospects | Look for a move toward nuclear power plants in the U.S.
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Duke Power of North Carolina is in the process of applying for licenses to construct new nuclear power plants. Even before the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, power companies had ceased applying for nuclear power plant licenses because of public opposition. What's different now, if anything?

A major transfer point | Guatemala, home of powerful drug runners
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In an article in the Texas Observer, Frank Smyth tells how the Guatemalan military and U.S.-trained anti-narcotics police have been running drugs and committing violence with impunity for more than a decade. Here he provides some background and links on this seldom-reported story.

Letter from Austin | DeLay Judge Shuffle Underlines Texas Judicial Election Problems
COMMENTARY
Partisan races, $1 million or more in contributions needed and guess who the big donors are. Some are looking to change this court system

A 3-year project | Center for Public Integrity reports on the telecom industry, state by state
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Questions and data for covering a business that is vast in scope, not well understood and that affects all of us.

System is getting worse | Government reduces in-prison education even though it helps lower recidivism
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John Britton offers guidance on a story begging to be reported wherever there’s a prison, or ex-offenders.

Justice delayed is... | Jamin Raskin feels the press is giving Novak a free ride
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It has been more than a year and a half since Robert Novak revealed in his newspaper column that Valerie Plame was a CIA agent, and more than a year since special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald began investigating. How long does it take to get to the bottom of something that looks so simple? Law professor Jamin Raskin thinks the press is giving Novak a free ride.

A man with a record | Sen. Leahy said he likes Gonzales and lauded Bush for naming him attorney general. Not so fast, please.
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Despite Leahy's compliments, it would be a disservice if members of the Senate Judiciary Committee go easy on Alberto Gonzales — and if the press lets them. Here are 50 or so pointed, important questions committee members should ask, offered by Alan Berlow, an author who has followed Gonzales closely.

Why is this a non-story? | If the FBI works to shut down independent journalism Web sites that are critical of U.S. policy, isn't that news?
COMMENTARY| October 14, 2004
Journalists' organizations outside the U.S. are up in arms, but there's been hardly a peep here.

Disgrace behind bars | Abu Ghraib aside; where is the reporting on U.S. prisons?
ASK THIS| May 21, 2004
America was once a model for humane punishment but not any longer...