Civil Liberties
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Cancel Culture and the Constitution: Three Reasons Why We Should Embrace Free Speech," by Judge James Ho
Based on a Constitution Day Lecture delivered at Wofford College last September 11.
The El Paso Drone Scare Is the Future of National Security Paranoia
Fear over mysterious objects in the sky keeps disrupting society.
The Feds Used Threats To Silence Their ICE-Tracking Speech. Now They're Fighting Back.
A lawsuit argues that Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem coerced Apple and Meta to censor two popular ICE-monitoring tools, which violates Americans' right to freedom of expression.
Kristi Noem's Response to ICE Killings in Minnesota Exposes Conservatives' Double Standard on Gun Rights
The Second Amendment protects your right to carry a gun at a protest.
The ATF Created a Backdoor Gun Registry. Lawmakers Want an Explanation.
Federal law bans the creation of a gun registry, but regulators made one anyway.
Second Amendment Roundup: New Jersey's "Sensitive Places" Argued in 3rd Circuit En Banc
A “sensitive place” requires comprehensive security and proper historical analogues.
Libel Suit by "King of Vape" Against N.Y. Post, Over Allegations of Misconduct and Anti-Israel Actions, Thrown Out but May Be Refiled
A district court concluded plaintiff had adequately alleged (it's all just allegations at this point) that the article included false and defamatory statements, but hadn't adequately alleged the statements were knowingly or recklessly false, and hadn't adequately alleged damages.
Do Construction Workers Have Fourth Amendment Rights? A Federal Court Will Decide.
The Department of Homeland Security argues it doesn't need a warrant to enter a construction site.
DHS Said It Was Targeting the 'Worst of the Worst' in Maine. It Swept Up Asylum Seekers and Noncriminals.
News outlets, civil rights groups, and court records tell a much different story than the government's claims about "Operation Catch of the Day."
Federal Court Recognizes Constitutional Right to Abortion to Prevent Serious Harm to Woman's Health
The court also draws an interesting analogy to self-defense rights.
Epstein Files: FBI Tracked Down Anonymous 4chan Conspiracy Theorist
The Department of Justice released subpoenas for personal information on two anonymous commenters claiming to have inside knowledge about Jeffrey Epstein's death.
A Tiny Alabama Town Ran an Outrageous Speed Trap. Now It Will Pay $1.5 Million To Settle a Lawsuit.
Brookside, Alabama, made national news in 2022 after investigations revealed it was bankrolling itself through predatory traffic enforcement.
A Grand Jury Rejects Trump's Attempt To Prosecute 6 Legislators for Saying Something He Did Not Like
The president was offended by a video reminding military personnel of their duty to disobey unlawful orders.
Boston Man With Pending Green Card Application Held in ICE Custody for 5 Months
Seamus Culleton was detained despite being married to a U.S. citizen and having a work authorization permit. Now he’s asking the Irish government for help.
An Immigration Judge Finds No Legal Basis To Deport a Student Arrested for an Op-Ed
Rumeysa Ozturk is one of several international students targeted by the Trump administration's speech-based deportation policy.
Ring's Lost Dog Finder Is a Potential Civil Liberties Nightmare
Search Party uses AI to detect lost pets, but some worry about the Ring program's potential use by law enforcement.
Tariff-ied
Plus: An immigration court drops Rumeysa Ozturk's deportation case, Buddhist monks complete their "walk for peace," previously classified Nixon grand jury testimony is released, and more...
Bad Bunny and the SCOTUS Precedent That Denies Constitutional Rights to Puerto Ricans
Plus: Is this the Supreme Court’s next big immigration case?
Jimmy Lai Got a 20-Year Sentence for Saying Things the Chinese Government Didn't Like
China's "national security law" was perfectly tailored to zero in on someone like Lai, who vigorously pushed for democracy, freedom of speech, and government reform in Hong Kong.
Allegedly Tortious Disclosure of Candidate's Sexual Assault Allegations in Judicial Campaign
"Defendant Cline also showed former Defendant Joshua Woolsey [whose wife was then running for judge against plaintiff] an unredacted copy of the [sexual assault police report filed by the plaintiff] ... after Joshua Woolsey made a public records request for all records pertaining to Plaintiff."
San Francisco Public Schoolteachers Make $79,468 for 184 Days of Work. Now They're Striking for Even More.
All of San Francisco's public schools were shut down Monday thanks to the United Educators strike.
A First Amendment Lawsuit Challenges FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson's Vendetta Against NewsGuard
The commission has targeted the news rating company with onerous record demands and a merger condition aimed at cutting off its revenue.
Half-Hearted Halftime Outrage
Plus: Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison, endemic fraud in federal welfare, Ghislaine Maxwell won't talk to Congress, and more...
Defendant's Giving E-Mail Address as Prosecutor's Name + "suxcox696969@gmail.com" Isn't Contempt of Court
Readers, these are trained pro se litigants; do not try this at home (especially since other courts might disagree).
"Any Business in America Would Rather Not Have Their Internal Documents out in the Public"
"But that does not mean that litigants have a right to hide them from the public once they are implicated in court proceedings."
Fourth Circuit Rejects Facial Challenge to Two Trump Anti-DEI Executive Orders
"What plaintiffs are really asking us to do is read subtext into the Provision's text."
Once Again, a Federal Judge Orders ICE To Stop Unlawful Warrantless Arrests
Another judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to follow federal law, even as the Trump administration argues it has broad authority to conduct warrantless immigration arrests.
Judge Orders Video and Texts Unsealed in Case of Chicago Woman Shot 5 Times by Border Patrol
The Department of Homeland Security won't stop calling Marimar Martinez a "domestic terrorist," so she's getting the video of her shooting and text messages from the officer who shot her unsealed.
The Trump Administration Has a Conflicted Relationship with the Second Amendment
The right to bear arms is inherently anti-authoritarian at a time when Trump wields authority.
Don Lemon May Be a Hack, but That Does Not Make Him a Felon
The federal case against the former CNN anchor hinges on conduct that can plausibly be viewed as part of a journalist's work, combined with the obvious partiality of that work.
Environmentalists and MAHA Activists Say Bill To Expand Florida's 'Food Libel' Law Will Silence Critics
The bill has a wide variety of groups worried that they could be targeted for criticism of large agribusinesses.
Mike Johnson Wants To Spare ICE the Hassle of Getting the Right Warrant Before Forcibly Entering a Home
Here's a quick reminder of what the Fourth Amendment has to say about that.
Drug Dogs Should Not Be Unleashed To Authorize Apartment Searches, a SCOTUS Brief Argues
The 4th Circuit held that the doorstep of an apartment did not qualify as protected "curtilage" under the Fourth Amendment.
A City Fined Her Over $100,000 for Parking on Her Own Grass. The Florida Supreme Court Won't Hear Her Case.
Sandy Martinez's little-known story is a microcosm of the broader debate over what, exactly, transgresses the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on excessive fines.
How Involuntary Commitment Could Become Indefinite Detention
Federal authorities should not be able to turn civil commitment into a life sentence for anyone the government deems inconvenient.
