Austin Sarat

Witnesses could see what happened to Sigmon, but they could not see the people who shot him.

Former Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter got it right almost 70 years ago: “A shocking crime puts law to its severest test.”

Sometimes, what is right in front of you is the hardest to see, and the truth is hidden in plain sight.

Whatever its motivations, the 5th Circuit’s opinion has little to do with the reality of gun violence with which all Americans live.

The order is a reminder that Americans live in two different worlds regarding the government’s use of the ultimate punishment.

What Biden did for 37 people on federal death row is in itself momentous. But it’s not enough.

How do we still keep getting the most basic death sentence question wrong?

Sometimes it is hard to get out front and do the right thing.

It opens new possibilities for people who want to stop an execution—not only in Texas, but across the nation.

This will be a bad week for everyone who hopes to make this country a fairer, more just, and more compassionate place.