Civil Liberties
Why Does Trump Want To Give Millions of Dollars to Right-Wing Europeans?
Trump opposes foreign influence in American politics, but his State Department is offering millions of dollars to promote Western identity and opposition to “mass migration” abroad.
Police Mix Up Usernames, Man Spends 18 Months in Prison for Someone Else's Sex Crimes
"He should never have been charged, let alone convicted," judges now say.
What Iranian Dissidents Can Learn About Regime Change From the Mistakes of 1979
A regretful rebel talks about what he learned from his participation in Iran’s Islamic revolution.
A New Jersey News Outlet Asks the Courts To Stop a Judge's Censorship
The judge concluded that a high school student's privacy interests trumped freedom of the press.
Federal Court Rules Against Rhode Island Town's Use of Eminent Domain for NIMBY Purposes
The local government sought to use eminent domain to block a housing project local NIMBYs objected to.
First Amendment Might Protect FTP&ATF License Plate
The Fourth Circuit considers "a question that has divided ... courts ...: whether the character combinations on personalized license plates ... are government speech or private speech."
Georgia Has Arrested At Least 20 Officials for Misusing the Flock Surveillance Database
Michael Soyfer, an attorney at the Institute for Justice, calls it “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Kansas Lawsuit: ALPRs Turn a License Plate Into the 'Functional Equivalent' of a 'GPS Tracking Device'
The Kansas Justice Institute argues that Wichita's "warrantless ALPR dragnet surveillance program" violates the state constitution's privacy protections.
China Helps Iran
Plus: Baby bust affects college enrollment, migrants flood into Spain, I'm writing a book, and more...
ICE Is Shredding the Bill of Rights. Defending That Isn't Conservative.
Constitutional limits on federal authority should not be partisan matters.
Chicago Homeowner Sues Border Cops for Warrantless Raid
Will they be held responsible for the illegal search and the damage to his property?
New NYU Brennan Center Article on "Using State Constitutions to Combat Exclusionary Zoning"
It explains how to better use both existing state constitutional provisions, and constitutional amendments. Based on a longer academic article, coauthored with Joshua Braver.
Homeland Security Is Spending $1 Billion on 'Autonomous' Border Surveillance Towers
The department plans to triple the number of surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border over the next decade.
Magistrate Judge Recommends Massive Sanctions on Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for Violating Court Order in Anti-Semitism Lawsuit
The recommendation includes entry of a default judgment against Boteach in a defamation lawsuit brought against him by a Florida hotel.
Records Show the Government Illegally Surveilled James Comey and Confirm the Absurdity of Its Case Against Him
The Secret Service asserted a nonexistent "emergency" to track Comey's cellphone, and the FBI's evidence falls far short of proving his seashell picture was a crime.
New Article on "The State Constitutional Case Against Exclusionary Zoning"
It is the first comprehensive analysis of how to use state constitutional law to combat exclusionary zoning. Coauthored with Josh Braver.
Border Agents Can Lie To Search Your Phone, but Wiping Your Own Data Could Land You in Prison
The government is charging Samuel Tunick for telling them a code that would erase all the data on his phone—after they tried to take it on false pretenses.
Nigel Farage's Reform U.K. Party Reports Green Party Leader's Guillotine Instagram Post to Police
Farage condemns the British government's habit of police action in free speech cases, but wants his political opponent arrested for an Instagram post.
Lawsuit Over Social Media Allegations of Hair Accessory Design Theft (with a Race Dimension) Can Go Forward
A sample allegation: "[T]his was orchestrated because at this point, you fucking know that this was not an original idea. You know that it was stolen from a black creator, and you are still doing backflips to make excuses for that."
Minority Report: FBI Seeks AI for Political Watch List
Documents show the FBI seeking AI tools to flag Americans before they act, as the terror watch list's focus moves toward domestic dissent.
Conservative Groups Urge FCC To Show Restraint in ABC Investigation
Fourteen organizations otherwise supportive of the Trump FCC's agenda cautioned against abusing powers that could later be used against conservatives.
RIP Lou Koller, a Hardcore Punk Hero and Free Speech Champion
Remembering the lead singer for the iconic band Sick of It All
Waltz: Interceptor Shortage Is Biden's Fault, Fake News, and Illegal To Discuss
The Trump administration official contradicted himself as he tried to explain away bad news from the Iran war.
Georgia Cops Keep Getting Arrested for Misusing Flock Surveillance Data
Although Flock Safety’s auditing tools have helped catch the bad actors, more is needed to protect Americans’ privacy.
Conservative Commentator Robby Starbuck's Lawsuit Alleging Google AI Had Defamed Him Can Go Forward
A Delaware trial court has denied Google's motion to dismiss, and concluded that, if the facts as alleged by Starbuck were true, he would have a legal basis for recovery.
