Civil Liberties
Outside the White House, Protesters Urge Biden To Release Nonviolent Marijuana Offenders
While Biden's mass pardons for those with low-level marijuana possession convictions were greeted with cautious optimism, protesters expressed frustration over Biden's lack of action to actually release those imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes.
Blame Qatar's Illiberal Migrant Labor Laws for Its Mounting World Cup Death Toll
Thousands of people from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have died while working on enormous infrastructure projects in the lead-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Patent Law Opinion Can't Be Sealed to Avoid Hurting Plaintiff's Future Similar Lawsuits
[UPDATE: I've added comments from plaintiff's lawyer.]
Ninth Circuit Partly Affirms and Partly Reverses Judgment for Planned Parenthood Over Secret Recordings
"Journalism and investigative reporting have long served a critical role in our society. But journalism and investigative reporting do not require illegal conduct."
Court Upholds Removal of Child From Parents, Related to Child's Transgender Identity
The facts are complicated, and involve a good deal more than just disagreement as to gender identity; but it seems to me like an important controversy.
No First Amendment Right to Publish Videos of Depositions
A court may impose restrictions on redistribution of material obtained through court-ordered discovery (as opposed to obtained through other means)—though if the depositions are quoted in court filings or played in court, the material used would "become part of the public record, creating a presumption of public access."
A Federal Judge Says New York's Ban on Guns in Church Is Unconstitutional
The state made it a felony to carry handguns for self-defense in "any place of worship or religious observation."
Ex-Congressman Alan Grayson Loses Libel Claim Before Eleventh Circuit
"The defendants' [reliance] on ... source materials, including an official congressional report, articles in well-known newspapers and magazines, and police reports ... '... alone ... defeat[s] any claim of actual malice.'"
Ninth Circuit Reverses "Provisional" Sealing of Appellate Brief in Interesting Free Speech Case
Appellate briefs need to be treated as public documents, and (I argued) shouldn't be "provisionally" sealed for months or years without findings that such sealing (or, more often, redaction) is genuinely necessary.
You Do Not Need To Store Your Kids' DNA in Case of Emergencies
Fearmongering about mass school shootings leads to some dumb, privacy-threatening ideas.
Iran Tries To Coopt and Crush Feminists at the Same Time
After a month of tear gas and beatings and gunfire, Iranians may not be convinced to move on so easily.
Prison Slavery Up for a Vote in 5 States
Plus: Federal court dismisses state challenge to student loan debt forgiveness, not all independent contractors want to be employees, and more...
Lawsuit by SJSU Professor Who Opposes "Repatriation of Native American Remains" Can Go Forward
Prof. Elizabeth Weiss claims SJSU retaliated against her for her speech.
#TheyLied Libel Claims Can Go Forward with Sufficient Evidence of "Actual Malice"
"We ... recognize ... that allowing this case to move forward could embolden abusers ... and could discourage victims and their families from seeking help. But, at the same time, we must acknowledge the potential for false accusations and the right that someone who is falsely accused has to recover for the harm thereby caused."
Church's Standard Commercial Lease Forbids "Offensive" "Activity"; Does That Cover Offensive Sermons
when the sermons lead to protests? That question is pending in Texas court.
Can the Iran Protests Do Better Than Uprisings of the Past?
This time could really be different.
What Happens When a County Employee Acts Like a Police Officer?
A highway engineer got qualified immunity for detaining drivers—despite not being a cop.
A Texas Woman Claims That She Nearly Died of Sepsis After Being Denied an Abortion
"It was a waiting game, the most horrific version of a staring contest: Whose life would end first? Mine, or my daughter's?"
Chris Rufo's Battle To 'Stop Woke'
Livestream with Nick Gillespie, Chris Rufo, and Zach Weissmueller's about Rufo's "counterrevolution" against wokeness
[UPDATED] Is Sixth-Grader Telling Classmate His Hairstyle Makes Him Look Like Trump "Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying"?
UPDATE: But wait! It turns out the decision was overturned on appeal, see below. (I've changed the title to a question; it originally said such a statement was indeed "harassment, intimidation, or bullying," summarizing the initial decision.)
New Jersey Legislators Advance a Bill That Tramples on the Right To Bear Arms While Pretending To Respect It
Carry permit applicants would have to prove they are not dangerous, and guns would be banned from myriad locations.
Florida Corrections Officers Paralyzed A Man, Then Left Him in Solitary Confinement
Craig Ridley died after corrections officers paralyzed him in a beating then left him without medical care for days.
Climber Who Competed Without Her Hijab Apologizes as Protests Continue To Rock Iran
Plus: Bite mark analysis is a sham, tax code adjusted for inflation, and more...
Maryland Law Prohibits Grandmothers From Giving Bunk Beds to Foster Kids
"Where is she going to put the grandkids if she doesn't create a bunkbed situation?"
New Jersey Joins New York in Defying the SCOTUS Decision Upholding the Right To Bear Arms
Legislators in both states favor subjective standards and sweeping restrictions for carry permits.
A North Carolina Man Was Jailed for Refusing To Wear a Mask in Court
"I never thought this could happen in this country," Gregory Hahn said.
Midterm Polling, PayPal, and Patellas
Plus: The editors consider Ye and social media, then field a question about the TARP bailouts during the 2008 fiscal crisis.
The Paranoid Style in Gun Control Politics
Bloomberg's "The Trace" fabricates a conspiracy about amicus brief writers who adhere to Supreme Court Rules
Should Free-Speech Absolutists Defend Vandalism of Precious Artwork?
"Committing vandalism by soup to send a message about climate change may be 'expressive,' but attempting to destroy someone else's work of art crosses moral and legal boundaries."
Arkansas Ban on Gender Transition Treatments for Minors Hits Federal Court
Plus: Rethinking "zombie cells," Truth Social whistleblower speaks out, and more...
Don't Weaponize Child Abuse Hotlines Against Your Political Opponents
Too much government authority lends itself to swatting-style abuse.
Enes Kanter Freedom on China and Free Speech: 'This Is Bigger Than Basketball'
"While we are dribbling a ball on the other side of the ocean, people are losing their loved ones, losing their lives, and losing their hopes."
Sixth Circuit Rules Government Cannot Seize $300,000 in Home Equity to Pay $22,000 Tax Debt
Doing so qualifies as a taking requiring "just compensation" under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.
Activist Groups Demand Feds Require Nutrition Labels on Booze
Plaintiffs want the nanny state to nanny harder.
