CONSTITUTION AND LAW CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT A GLANCE The role of criminal law is to identify, discourage, and, when necessary, punish behavior that harms other people or otherwise threatens the very fabric of civil society. In order to be legitimate, a criminal justice system must accomplish those tasks in a way that is substantively and procedurally fair while ensuring accountability from government officials who abuse their authority. Cato’s research focuses on unconstitutional overcriminalization, self‐defeating policing, coercive plea bargaining, and challenging our policy of near‐zero accountability for law enforcement. JOIN THE CONVERSATION #CatoCJ SHARE THIS TOPIC FEATURED CONTENT COMMENTARY Kyle Rittenhouse and the Right to Trial By Clark Neily Despite the overwhelming evidence of coercion in the plea‐bargaining process, the system makes no serious effort to combat it. BLOG Congress Should Let D.C. Enforce Its Own Marijuana Laws By Jeffrey Miron and Pedro Braga Soares Legalizing recreational marijuana sales in D.C. would probably have minor effects. But it would bolster tax revenues and increase product quality, making marijuana safer for consumers. COMMENTARY Justice Department Must End Actions against Concerned Parents By Clark Neily and William Otis How bad of an idea is it to involve federal law enforcement in the culture clash over masking, curriculum, and other hot‐button issues in public schools? It’s a terrible idea. CATO DAILY PODCAST Federal Cops, Qualified Immunity, and Effective Absolute Immunity Featuring Patrick Jaicomo and Caleb O. Brown Bringing claims against state cops for violating your rights is hard enough, but it’s even harder when the cop is a fed. Patrick Jaicomo is an attorney at the Institute for Justice. We discussed current cases where federal cops stepped on American rights. COMMENTARY The Safe Banking Act Is a Good Step toward Marijuana Legalization By Jeffrey Miron and Pedro Braga Soares Short of legalization, the SBA would be better than nothing. View More Related Content FEATURED PROJECT End Qualified Immunity Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that shields public officials, like police officers, from liability when they break the law. Cato’s Project on Criminal Justice chose to make the elimination of qualified immunity one of its top priorities nearly three years ago for the simple reason that civil society is impossible without a well‐functioning criminal justice system. More on Qualified Immunity MEET OUR EXPERTS Patrick G. Eddington SENIOR FELLOW, CATO INSTITUTE Clark Neily SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR LEGAL STUDIES Julian Sanchez SENIOR FELLOW Jay Schweikert RESEARCH FELLOW FEATURED VIDEO Hold Police Liable One idea we think is very promising is requiring police to carry insurance the same way that we require other professionals like doctors and lawyers to carry it. It ensures that there’s always going to be funds to cover judgment so that the victim is compensated. You know, it protects individual officers, from what could be extraordinary litigation costs. But it also means that over time, as you see, it will price out of the market that minority of officers who routinely commit these kinds of violations. Stay Connected to Cato Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic updates on Cato research, events, and publications. Your Email Address Subscribe View All Newsletters 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, DC 20001-5403 202-842-0200 CONTACT US PRIVACY Footer 1 ABOUT Annual Reports Leadership Jobs Student Programs Media Information Government & External Affairs Store Contact BLOG PODCASTS Footer 2 EXPERTS Policy Scholars Adjunct Scholars Fellows EVENTS Upcoming Past Event FAQs Sphere Summit Footer 3 PUBLICATIONS Books Cato Journal Regulation Cato Policy Report Cato Supreme Court Review Cato’s Letter Human Freedom Index Economic Freedom of the World Cato Handbook for Policymakers Footer 4 SPHERE Classroom Content & Resources Professional Development & Programming Sphere on the Road DONATE Sponsorship Benefits Ways to Give Planned Giving Meet the Development Team ALSO FROM CATO INSTITUTE: LIBERTARIANISM.ORG HUMANPROGRESS.ORG DOWNSIZINGGOVERNMENT.ORG