Legal
Legal matters are a core focus for local and state government agencies, encompassing the creation, interpretation, and enforcement of laws and regulations that govern public affairs. Legal frameworks ensure that government actions are consistent with the rule of law and protect citizens’ rights. Though by no means a perfect system – enforcement inequities continue to make the headlines – local leaders strive to create laws that work fairly for all.
A change in Washington state law now requires the bailiffs to have an active commission through the state Criminal Justice Training Commission and to pass a background check
The move follows the quiet release of a convicted murderer more than a decade before the end of his sentence when a state judge approved a court order right before he retired
State law allows cannabis use during off-hours for every profession, but Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop believes that there should be an exception for cops
The DOJ will increase the number of federal law enforcement officers in each of the cities and add additional officers to federal task forces
For many counties, rising poverty rates underscore the importance of fully counting residents in next year’s census, since a count of low-income residents will help determine funding available to help them.
The mistaken belief that text messages are private can damage community relationships, and lead to litigation or fines
According to the suit, city commissioners and the mayor openly explained that they were motivated to pass the ordinance by their personal opposition to abortion.
An Olympia doctor is working to spread an opioid addiction treatment philosophy called “medication first.” The surprising approach scraps requirements for counseling, abstinence or even a commitment to recovery. But this may be a tough sell in other parts of the country.
The measure would have required panhandlers to be jailed for two days for the first offense, unless the sentence was suspended by a judge
“The net result, in my opinion,” said Howard Belodoff, the Idaho Legal Aid attorney who represented the Boise homeless residents in the case, “is that local officials and municipalities will have to address the issues surrounding homelessness, and not just make it a crime to sleep.”
Deputy Chief Jan Wright told Burlington’s mayor Monday that she used a fake Facebook account to engage citizens in police policy talk -- just hours after her predecessor resigned over his own use of a fake account.
In June, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a security directive to county boards instructing them to install the alarms, conduct assessments and training on physical threats and cybersecurity and change email systems, among other measures.
Rural residents experience mental disorders and drug addiction just as much as their urban counterparts, and their need for mental health services is similar. But rural suicide rates are greater than urban ones, and the gap has grown steadily since 1999.
In seeking a second term, Turner touted guiding Houston through the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and reducing the city’s huge pension debt as some of his accomplishments.
The plan, while a sharp shift away from President Donald Trump’s push to weaken environmental safeguards, is unlikely to win over his party’s loudest environmental activists.
As mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Sanders fought to bring professional baseball to his hometown, and more than 30 years later, he hasn’t given up the fight.
Mayor Randall Woodfin’s endorsement, which he is expected to announce on Monday, is the latest amid a scramble among the 2020 candidates to shore up support with mayors.
The data shows that nearly 80% of the guns used to commit crimes in New Jersey are from out of state.
“This latest Grand Jury report confirms what many of us have feared,” said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, “that our schools are still not as safe as they could be.”
