KPLU-FM: Law

Licenses for scientific research on marijuana could soon be available in Washington state, despite strict federal rules about research on the drug. Under the new state license, labs could grow pot for scientific study. Reporter Melissa Santos wrote about this issue for The News Tribune in Tacoma, where she covers state government. She spoke with KPLU's Ed Ronco.

Washington state law protects reproductive rights, such as emergency contraception, but that doesn’t always mean you can go to your local hospital in an urgent situation and get what you need. Advocates hope a new website will help patients navigate the fine print. Two years ago, the state passed a rule requiring hospitals to post their policies on reproductive health and end-of-life care. But it's not always clear if procedures such as tubal ligation and vasectomies are available. The...

The CEO of Washington’s biggest state-run psychiatric facility will not have to report to jail on Wednesday. The case relates to a man awaiting...

You might assume that if you go to court and secure a civil sexual assault protection order against an assailant the protection order will be permanent....

A conference solely dedicated to the topic of hate crimes is happening in Burien next week. The Hate Crimes Conference is being organized by a Seattle...

A year ago this month, a young man named Keaton Farris was found naked on the floor of his jail cell in Coupeville on Whidbey Island. He was dead. The...

Last year, nearly 1,800 King County juveniles were booked into detention. Judges and attorneys say this can have a lasting, negative impact on a child.

Massive amounts of human waste and trash, as well as dirty needles litter the green belt and dirt lots under and around a stretch of I-5 known as The...

Marijuana laws in Washington are evolving. And pot is still illegal at the federal level, creating more uncertainty for businesses in states where it is...

Police reform in Seattle isn’t happening quickly enough for some community groups in the city. The police department has been under a federal court...

A transgender Seattle man has won his battle against an insurance company over his medical treatment. Anthony Bopp, who works in the produce section at...

More than 20 years ago, a drive-by shooting outside Ballard High School in Seattle left 16-year-old Melissa Fernandes dead. The perpetrator, Brian...

The theft of a computer and hard-drive containing the names and stories of people who survived the war in El Salvador has human rights workers on edge....

The deed that landed Paul Rivers in jail for the rest of his life wasn’t a murder, it was stealing $330 from an espresso stand in Seattle’s University...

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled a lawsuit against Backpage.com can move forward. The lawsuit alleges Backpage was complicit in the sex...

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors over worker...

The Olympia police officer who shot two African-American brothers during a confrontation in May will not be criminally charged. That was the...

Could Marysville-Pilchuck High School have done more to prevent the deadly shooting there last year? The attorney representing the victim's families...

The City of Tacoma has launched a program to improve the relationship between police and the community. Project Peace will involve a series of meetings...

Amid the arts and crafts and concerts of Hempfest in Seattle this weekend, there will be one group of people delivering a somber message. Friends and...