Courts
An Eye on the American Judicial System
Even When Big Cases Intersect With Their Families’ Interests, Many Judges Choose Not to Recuse
Ambiguous — and unenforced — recusal standards mean few checks and balances for top judges when cases involve their family members.
North Carolina Supreme Court Secretly Squashed Discipline of Two GOP Judges Who Admitted to Violating Judicial Code
The decisions came despite the Judicial Standards Commission’s recommendations to publicly reprimand the judges, and these are likely the only times in more than a decade in which the court didn’t follow the commission’s guidance.
ProPublica Updates “Supreme Connections” Database With New Justice Disclosures
The update includes data from eight financial disclosures made public last Friday that cover 2023, as well as information from some older filings.
Reader Tips Propelled Our Supreme Court Reporting. Now Your Info Could Power Our 2024 Election Coverage.
An email from a reader helped a team of ProPublica reporters uncover secret tuition payments Harlan Crow made for a family member of Clarence Thomas. Now we’re looking for tips on the election, and you can help.
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Impact of Our Reporting
Harlan Crow Provided Clarence Thomas at Least 3 Previously Undisclosed Private Jet Trips, Senate Probe Finds
The Supreme Court justice flew to Montana and other destinations on the billionaire GOP donor’s dime. Crow’s lawyer revealed these flights to the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose ongoing investigation was sparked by ProPublica’s reporting.
Justice Thomas Acknowledges He Should Have Disclosed Free Trips From Billionaire Donor
The trips include vacations in Indonesia and at the exclusive, men’s-only Bohemian Grove retreat, which were first reported by ProPublica last year.
New Utah Law Prioritizes Child Safety in Custody Courts
The legislation, which limits the use of reunification therapies and increases scrutiny of expert witnesses, follows ProPublica’s reporting on courts’ handling of custody cases involving allegations of violence.
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