Argues

Credit: Criminology & Public Policy (2022). DOI: 10.1111/1745-9133.12609 Much of U.S. criminal justice policy focuses on recidivism, and probation and parole violators make up a considerable share of jail and prison populations. In a new article, a 2022 winner of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology argues that to understand desistance—the process of reducing or ending criminal behavior—we must consider the role of…

Lawyers for Bill Cosby argued Thursday that Judy Huth’s revision of details of her case — namely, the year she was sexually assaulted — unfairly denied the comedian the chance to investigate and interview witnesses who could have corroborated his defense. Jennifer Bonjean, representing Cosby, argued that the 11th-hour correction warrants a new trial. A month before a jury found that Cosby assaulted Huth when she was 16 years old at the Playboy Mansion, Huth said that the incident actually occurred in…

A radical decentralisation of politics and decision-making in Iran is needed to allow Kurdish communities to benefit from natural resources, experts have argued. Kurdish regions in Iran have rich minerals, dense forests and massive surface and underground water…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The difference between a desirable, vibrant neighborhood and one that is stagnant and moribund can depend on the strength of its local associations. These groups often act as the engine of local public life, organizing the kinds of sporting activities, cookouts, festivals and holiday celebrations that tighten the community fabric.…

White scientists are more likely to win a grant from the National Science Foundation than researchers from other racial and ethnic groups, according to an independent analysis of more than 2 decades of NSF data on its merit review process. The analysis supports earlier studies finding similar racial disparities in the funding of scientists by other federal agencies, notably the National Institutes of Health (NIH). And its authors—a team led by geochemist Christine Yifeng Chen, a…

After Amber Heard's attorneys asked the Virgina judge to set aside the verdict in the defamation case and begin a fresh trial due to mistaken identity of one of the jurors, Johnny Depp's lawyers have urged the judge to not do the same. The verdict requires Amber to pay $10.35 million to Johnny over the 2018 op-ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post about domestic violence. Johnny has to pay $2 million to Amber on her counterclaim that she was defamed by one of his attorneys after he called her allegations a hoax.…

A new review article penned by a trio of researchers suggests insects do have the capacity to experience pain. The article summarizes the latest behavioral and molecular science before concluding the potential of pain states in insects could have ethical implications for current farming and research practices.The new article first clarifies the important distinction between what is called nociception, and the negative subjective experience of pain. Nociception was defined more than a century ago as a way of separating the…

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s legal battle has lasted for years, starting after the Aquaman actress wrote a 2018 op-ed about her experience with domestic violence. Their dispute and various allegations came to a head when the defamation case began in Virginia, where Depp was largely found the victor. Now Heard’s legal team is arguing that the Depp damage judgment was “excessive” and should be “set aside.”When the verdict for the defamation trial was finally revealed, Amber Heard was found guilty of three different counts…

An alleged co-founder of the YSL collective who previously turned himself in after being named in a widely criticized indictment was denied bond this week.Per a report from WSB-TV, a judge denied Walter Murphy’s bond at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Tuesday. Defense attorney Jacoby Hudson is quoted in the report (and seen in the above video) as having argued “the whole case” is about Young Thug, who is among several people charged in the indictment with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Journalists need not cover both sides of an argument when one side is advancing what experts widely regard as a con, Illinois Institute of Technology John and Mae Calamos Endowed Chair in Philosophy J. D. Trout argues in his latest publication. "The Epistemic Virtues of a Closed Mind: Effective Science Reporting in the Golden Age of the Con" appears in Frontiers in Communication: Science and…