Criminal Justice

Does a video in a social media post accurately convey Vice President Kamala Harris' full position by using a clip of her saying "more schools, less jails"? No, that's not true: A transcript of her 2013 speech shows the post snipped away the part where Harris said she agrees in concept that schools are a priority, but that there needs…

Was British activist Tommy Robinson arrested in Canada for expressing anti-Islam views? No, that's not true: In a video of his arrest, the plainclothes Canada Border Services Agency officers who handcuffed Robinson said he was arrested on an "outstanding immigration warrant." They also suggested the activist lied about his criminal history on his visa application to enter Canada. The claim…

Does a photo of five Black female judges show all the judges who could hear former President Donald Trump's expected appeal of his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York? No, that's not true: The photo, distributed on social media, shows five of the 21 judges on the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First…

Was "Fulton County election worker, Wanda Shaye Moss" arrested on election fraud charges in June 2024? No, that's not true: The woman shown in a social media post is Wanda Geter-Pataky, who was arrested and criminally charged in connection with the misuse of absentee ballots in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She is not Wandrea ArShaye ("Shaye") Moss, the woman falsely accused of…

Did Illinois legislators pass a bill to redefine all convicted criminals as "justice-impacted individuals"? No, that's missing context: An amendment to a bill renaming offenders "justice-impacted individuals" only applies to participants in the state's Adult Redeploy Illinois program, Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, one of the bill's sponsors, told Lead Stories. The name change does not apply to all people…

Did the use-of-force language in the FBI plan for the raid at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 give agents special authority to assassinate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: There is no evidence or indication in any official documents or statements that suggests the FBI agents were given authority to assassinate anyone, including the former president. The purpose of the raid…

Does a photo of a toddler walking past the debris of burned village homes portray the damage caused by foreign mercenaries in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The image is a screenshot of a 2015 staged music video. In 2024, the picture was reused by the resources formerly controlled by now-deceased Russian mercenary boss Evgeny Prigozhin. The claim appeared in…

Did the U.S. Judge Advocate General's Corps arrest a "third" Colorado Supreme Court justice who voted in favor of removing former President Donald Trump from the ballot in the state for the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: This claim appears in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. Lead Stories previously debunked claims about two…

Could law enforcement and prosecutors have chosen not to release Kyle Rittenhouse's name? No, that's not true: Wisconsin, where he was charged at age 17 and later acquitted after the trial over the killing of two, is one of the states that requires persons in this age group to be treated as adults in criminal cases. Other states extend identity…

Did special counsel Robert Hur say President Joe Biden was mentally unfit to stand trial? No, that's not true: There is no credible information or source suggesting that the special counsel made such a statement about the president. Instead, Hur's report stated that there was "insufficient evidence" to prove that Biden "intentionally" retained classified documents or to support bringing charges…