Opinion Today: Who gets to kill in self-defense?

The law is failing these women.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 5, 2024 By Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer Special Projects Editor How many women are in prison for killing their abusers? The simple answer: We don't know. Every once in a while, there is a case in which the sense that there has been a miscarriage of justice is so overwhelming, so impossible to deny that the story manages to break through and capture the attention of the larger public. This happened with Cyntoia Brown, who was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man who had picked her up as a child sex-trafficking victim. It happened with Nikki Addimando, who shot her abusive partner after enduring years of physical and sexual abuse. These stories are often met with outrage on these women's behalf and, sometimes, petitions for clemency. What can easily go overlooked, however, is how so many similar cases unfold outside of the spotlight, through quiet plea deals in anonymous courtrooms. The questions around how the legal system handles — or, more typically, mishandles — cases like these have always been larger than the individual cases that garner attention. In an article published yesterday, the Times Opinion contributing writer Rachel Louise Snyder, who has written extensively about domestic violence, details the ambitious efforts of a group of Stanford researchers to study this problem. They've started by surveying all the women in California's state prisons who have been convicted of murder or manslaughter; their plan is to continue surveying the whole country. What they've found so far offers a disturbing new look into what one of them terms "the abuse-to-prison pipeline" — the ways in which being in abusive relationships often leads directly to women being convicted of violent crimes, including some that don't involve the deaths of their partners. Along the way, the essay also examines the history of self-defense laws: how the principles that govern when they do and don't apply have always been developed with men in mind, and why they're still failing women today. It's a thought-provoking read — one that's persuasive about the scale of the problem, as well as our capacity as a society to take steps to improve how our legal system handles these cases. I hope you'll give it a read. Read the guest essay: via Theresa Jones Who Gets to Kill in Self-Defense? Self-defense laws were written for men. This is how they fail women who fight back. By Rachel Louise Snyder Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Harris or Trump? The Prophet of Presidential Elections Is Ready to Call the Race. Allan Lichtman's method for predicting election winners has an impressive track record. By Allan Lichtman, Nayeema Raza and Adam Westbrook More From Opinion What 12 Pennsylvania Voters Think About Harris, Trump, Walz and Vance The participants discussed Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the economy, abortion and other issues important to them. By Patrick Healy, Kristen Soltis Anderson and Adrian J. Rivera Guest Essay Why Trumpism Without Trump Is an Impossible Dream Some of the most institutionally destabilizing aspects of Trump-style populism may be inseparable from its core appeal. By Noah Millman Pamela Paul Taking the City for a Ride Too many bus and subway passengers don't pay. The best solution is more policing. By Pamela Paul Charles M. Blow We Have Reached the Scrounging-for-Scandals Phase of the Campaign The false "stolen valor" claim isn't sticking, but that hasn't stopped conservatives from using it. By Charles M. Blow Carlos Lozada Kamala Harris's Toughest Opponent on Debate Night Is Joe Biden Donald Trump seems to wish he could still run against Joe Biden. Harris probably wishes she didn't have to. By Carlos Lozada Guest Essay I'm Just a Human Sitting in Front of a Stack of Blank Paper, Sketching as Fast as I Can My nine months as a generative art model. By Pablo Delcan Mosquitoes Suck, as Do the Diseases They Carry Mosquito-borne diseases are widening their range partly because of climate change. By Zeynep Tufekci David French The Viral Blackout Challenge Is Killing Young People. Courts Are Finally Taking It Seriously. What should we do when TikTok's algorithm turns deadly? By David French Frank Bruni Will North Carolina's MAGA Extremists Doom Trump? There's a whiff of Republican panic in this battleground state. By Frank Bruni The Opinions Netanyahu Is Trying to Save Himself. Will He Sink Harris? The columnist Thomas L. Friedman explains what Netanyahu's three key goals mean for the upcoming U.S. election. 8 MIN LISTEN letters JD Vance's Conversion to Catholicism Readers discuss an article about how he discovered his faith. Also: The Hamas tunnels; prioritizing child care; accessibility in Paris and Barcelona. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018