Ryan J. Farrick, Author at Legal Reader

Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Passionate about international politics and world affairs, he’s an avid traveler with a keen interest in the connections between South Asia and the United States. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics.

United Nations Slams Trump Administration Policy of Separating Migrant Children and Parents as Illegal

June 5, 2018

If the United Nations is right, the Trump administration’s practice of separating migrant children from their parents could be illegal. In announcement made Tuesday, the agency’s human rights organization condemned the practice as a violation of international law. Washington responded almost immediately, accusing the U.N. of ignorance and hypocrisy. Nevertheless, the controversial practice has been

Supreme Court (Kind of) Backs Colorado Baker Who Turned Down Gay Couple’s Request for Wedding Cake

June 4, 2018

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who attracted national attention for refusing to a bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. The decision—which may disappoint some LGBT advocates—is narrow in its application. As the New York Times notes, the majority decision doesn’t explicitly allow businesses to discriminate against

Customs and Border Protection Seizes 64-Year Old Immigrant’s Life Savings in Cleveland

June 4, 2018

A 64-year old man from Cleveland, Ohio, is suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection after officials confiscated his life savings at an area airport. Customs agents, writes The Washington Post, seized the money in October through a process known as civil forfeiture. Under the statute, authorities can confiscate cash and property from individuals—regardless of whether

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Proposes $210m Trust Fund for Survivors of Clergy Abuse

June 1, 2018

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced that it would create a $210 million trust fund for hundreds of victims of clergy abuse. The settlement, writes the New York Times, ‘is the result of a years-long battle and arduous negotiations in one of the country’s most high-profile cases involving abuse in the

Transgender Woman Kept in ‘Icebox’ by I.C.E Dies from HIV-Related Complications

June 1, 2018

A transgender woman reportedly died in I.CE. custody last Friday after being detained for five days in a small cell fraught with freezing temperatures. Roxana Hernandez, 33, arrived in California early in May. After a 2,000-mile journey, the transgender woman was banking on the opportunity to file an asylum application. Citing widespread “violence” and “hate”

Crime scene; image by Alan Cleaver, via Flickr, CC BY 2.0, no changes.

Family of Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr. Seeks Justice After Sheriff’s Deputies Penalized $4 in Controversial Killing

May 31, 2018

Some four and a half years ago, Florida sheriff’s deputies showed up to the home of Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr. The African-American father of three was a man with an imperfect past. He had several traffic violations on his record—serious violations, according to The New York Times—and had been drinking long before law enforcement arrived.

Former Chillicothe Correctional Center Inmate Claims She Was Raped By Guard and Counselor

May 31, 2018

A former inmate at Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Center says she was repeatedly raped by a guard and then victimized by an on-site counselor. Karen Backues Keil, writes the New York Post¸ was released from the Midwestern jail in February 2017. She’d served six years for forgery and theft. But the hardships of hard time didn’t

Senators Press White House for Immigration Reform as Uncertainty Festers in Washington

May 30, 2018

Earlier in the week, several conservative senators demanded that the White House and Congress act faster to effect comprehensive and much-needed immigration reform. “The sweet spot for getting an immigration deal remains now. The closer we get to the election and certainly post-election, the more difficult it will be,” said Cory Gardner (R-CO), leader of

Convicted Cop-Killer Demetrius Blackwell Sues New York City Over Jail Safety

May 30, 2018

Convicted cop-killer Demetrius Blackwell is suing New York City after being jumped by two other inmates in a borough jail. Blackwell, found guilty in the 2015 slaying of NYPD Officer Brian Moore, claims officials at the Brooklyn Detention Center failed to protect him from other prisoners. Citing an altercation last spring, the killer claims to

Parkland Families Sue to Have the Right to Sue Firearms Makers and Sellers

May 29, 2018

Two families of children killed in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting are filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer and seller of the weapon used in the attack. The families of Jaime Guttenberg and Alex Schachter—both gunned down at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in February—charge American Outdoor Brands and the Tactical Supply store with being

Trending