Alabama House Bill 367, sponsored by Chris Sells, proposes to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday in Alabama. Under this bill, state employees would have the option to observe either Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis’ Birthday as a day off. Importantly, the bill does not increase the total number of paid holidays for state employees, which…
A recent report released by Reprieve has shed light on significant racial disparities in lethal injection executions in the United States, uncovering a disturbing trend of errors disproportionately affecting Black prisoners. Despite comprising only a third of those executed, Black prisoners account for half of the mishandled cases, according to the findings. The report highlights…
A bill aimed at making police-worn body camera footage public record in Alabama was defeated in a Senate committee vote on Wednesday. Sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, the legislation, SB14, would have mandated the release of bodycam and dashcam video footage within 30 days of a request, making it accessible to families as well.…
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, along with a private Alabama law firm, Quinn, Connor, Weaver, Davis & Rouco, has filed a lawsuit against the town of Newbern, Alabama, alleging decades-long violations of residents’ voting rights. The lawsuit targets the town’s former mayor, Haywood “Woody” Stokes, and the all-white council board for allegedly manipulating the political…
In a landmark legal decision, Samuel Arthur Thompson, a registered sex offender, has been sentenced to 220 years in federal prison for heinous crimes including the production of child sexual abuse material and the hacking of the jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium. The sentencing, delivered by a federal judge in Jacksonville, comes after Thompson’s…
Alabama resident Carlee Russell, who sparked a nationwide frenzy after falsely claiming she was the victim of a violent kidnapping, has avoided jail time but faces a $17,000 fine. Russell, 26, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in a hearing at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Expressing remorse for her actions, Russell tearfully apologized for the panic…
An Alabama man, Jeremy Tremaine Williams, has pleaded guilty to capital murder charges for the sexual abuse and killing of a 5-year-old girl, Kamarie Holland, in a case that has shocked the nation. However, despite the guilty plea, prosecutors face the daunting task of proving the homicide case in a trial scheduled to begin April…
The early release of a White police officer convicted of killing an unarmed Black man in 2016 has sparked outrage among residents of Montgomery, Alabama. In a case that has drawn widespread attention and criticism, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s intervention led to the release of Aaron Cody Smith, a former officer, less than two…
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