The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "Court of Appeals" ...
-
Seattle Police:Vanishing Videos
This story began as a relatively simple venture; how to get copies of police dashboard camera videos to provide watchdog oversight of a police department facing growing criticism. It grew into a major expose of questionable police tactics and a battle for public access to critical public records that is currently before the state Supreme Court. Over the course of a year and a half, KOMO TV’s fight for videos and the video database became a game of strategy and attrition as the Seattle Police Department denied us access to public records at every opportunity. We tried every means at our disposal to get these records including direct appeals to elected officials. Finally, with no other recourse, KOMO TV sued the SPD and the city of Seattle. Only then did we make our fight for these records public. What followed in 2012 was a cascade of stories; people coming forward alleging police misconduct and an attempt to hide the videos that would tell the truth. In addition to KOMO TV’s public records lawsuit, our investigation has prompted state legislators and other open records advocates to pursue changes in state law to ensure these records can no longer stay hidden.
Tags: police; camera videos; SPD; Seattle Police Department; public records
-
"Final Justice
For seven years, the WEWS-TV Investigative Unit researched and reported the case of a Cleveland man, Darrell Houston, who was serving "33 years to life" in prison. By uncovering new witnesses and interviewing past jurors, the investigation by WEWS eventually led to a new trial, the release of Houston and the exoneration of his "murder and robbery charges."
Tags: Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court; Nancy Fuerst; judge; Ohio Court of Appeals; Cleveland Police Department; Nancy Margaret Russo; jury; court
-
The Prosecution of Governor Siegelman
Seven U.S. Attorneys were fired in December 2006 by the Bush Justice Department not because of poor performance, but because of the refusal to engage in politically-driven prosecutions. Former Governor of Alabama Don Siegelman was convicted of bribery and sentence to serve seven years in jail.
Tags: President George W. Bush; Circuit Court of Appeals; imprisonment; allegation; Grant Woods;
-
Out of Time
Michael Wayne Richard was executed by lethal injection 10 hours after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a separate case, Baze v. Rees, which will decide whether lethal injection is cruel or not. Richard's life may have been spared if proper paper work could have been put through, or he could have at least earned an extra day to live.
Tags: execution; court of appeals; justice
-
Conflict on the Bench
Evans examined two sitting federal judges, James H. Payne and Terrence Boyle, to determine their independence.Both were nominated by President Bush for higher court seats. Both have conflicts of interest on their bench: they each sat on cases that involved companies in which they owned stock. Judge Payne withdrew his nomination after the stories about him ran.
Tags: federal judge; stock; companies; bench; Boyle; Payne; Bush; Circuit Court of Appeals;
-
Writs Gone Wrong
The Austin American-Statesman investigates as writs of habeas corpus are found to have errors when submitted to the court. These writs are essential in death row appeals because they "help ensure that the right person will be executed and that verdicts are obtained in accordance with the U.S. and state constitutions." But the newspaper found that "court appointed lawyers routinely submit shockingly botched writs applications. Some are incomplete, incomprehensible or improperly argued. Others are duplicated, poorly, from previous appeals." Yet, these lawyers are not held accountable for these mistakes.
Tags: Writ of Habeas Corpus; death row appeals; court-appointed lawyers; lazy lawyers; overworked lawyers; case load
-
Salon.com Bush Series
This story is a duplicate. Go to 23221 for the actual file.
Tags: Judge James H. Payne; Judge Terrence Boyle; U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Judges; George W. Bush; presidential malfeasance; corruption; buying Judges
-
A Shot in the Arm
Police arrested Darryl Burton on June 28, 1984, for the shooting death of Donald Ball, a notorious neighborhood gangster. Burton's trial in 1985 lasted two days, and a St. Louis jury found him guilty of capital murder and armed criminal action. Circuit Judge Jack L. Koehr sentenced the 23 year old Burton to life in prison. This story explores the murder conviction and the obstacles Burton has encountered in trying to get the conviction reversed. He was convicted on the strength of two eyewitness accounts. Gay finds that one of the eyewitnesses admitted perjury, and the other has had his character and testimony impugned by the arrival of new testimony.
Tags: Darryl Burton; reversed conviction; Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals; habeas corpus; FOI
-
Cheated by the Law
Rolah McCabe successfully sued British American Tobacco in 2002 when the judge "ruled that BAT and Clayton Utz had destroyed internal documents denying her a fair trial." It was overturned on appeal. However after McCabe's win Utz conducted a secret internal investigation. "The Sunday Age published the details of the internal investigation and put the documents online" after they were leaked to Birnbauer.
Tags: court; internal investigation; lung cancer; British American Tobacco; corporation; professional misconduct; Clayton Utz; Rolah McCabe
-
A question of judgment: Portsmouth judge frequently reduces DUIs on appeal
This investigation showed how a circuit court judge reduced drunken driving convictions to reckless driving in nearly two out of three appeals. An analysis of a state database of criminal cases helped to identify the trend.
Tags: drunken driving; DUI; court; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; judge; appeal; convictions