The Trump Administration Made Habeas Corpus Great Again
More habeas corpus petitions were filed over the last year than in the past three administrations combined because of the administration's mass detention policy.
Courts
The Postal Service's Recent Supreme Court Win Is Bad News for Government Accountability
Federal officials enjoy too much immunity from being sued over their misconduct.
Will the Trump Administration Pay the Tariff Refunds It Promised?
It said that if it lost in court, it would refund companies that paid unlawful tariffs. Now it says the process could take years.
In Tariffs Dissent, Clarence Thomas Embraced a Dangerous Theory of Executive Power
The conservative justice’s regrettable opinion in Learning Resources v. Trump.
Police Drug Tests Are Notoriously Unreliable. They Got This Man Wrongly Charged With Trafficking Fentanyl.
Roughly 30,000 people every year may be getting wrongfully arrested because of unreliable field drug tests, according to one estimate.
Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Health Care Following Years of Barbaric Medical Neglect
A federal judge ruled in 2022 that "no legitimate humane system would operate" like Arizona's prison health care system. Three years later, that same judge found the problems still hadn't been fixed.
The Supreme Court Just Struck Down Trump's 'Emergency' Tariffs
"There is no exception to the major questions doctrine for emergency statutes," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts.
Judging the Alito Retirement Rumors
Is the conservative Supreme Court justice planning to retire this year?
Trump's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against the BBC
A federal judge has set the date for the president's push to punish a news organization he dislikes, again.
Lessons of the End of Trump's ICE "Surge" in Minnesota
A combination of legal action and political resistance helped deal Trump a defeat.
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.
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.
The Supreme Court Is Poised To Remind States That the Constitution Doesn't Stop at the Liquor Store
Lower courts keep inventing loopholes to uphold discriminatory booze regulations.
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.
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.
Thawing ICE
Plus: Courts block ending temporary protected status for Haitians and preventing lawmakers from entering ICE facilities, an end to government shutdown expected, and more…
Judge Says ICE Violated Court Orders in 74 Cases—See Them All Here
The extraordinary document offers a glimpse of a national campaign by the federal government to deprive detained immigrants of due process rights.
Federal Judge Slams ICE for Violating Nearly 100 Court Orders: 'ICE is Not a Law Unto Itself'
Judges across the country are fed up with the Trump administration's refusal to follow court orders requiring it to give bond hearings to detained immigrants.
Conservative 'Judicial Activists' vs. ICE
Why a conservative judge’s “patience is at an end” over Trump’s immigration crackdown.
John Roberts Touts Judicial Independence, Subtly Rebukes Trump in 'Year End Report' on Federal Courts
The chief justice hails the judiciary as “a counter-majoritarian check on the political branches.”
These Progressives Seek to 'Disempower' the Courts
Is unfettered majority rule actually a good idea for the left to embrace?
Innocent Man Sues for Over $60,000 After Police Blew Up His Business. A Court Says He's Entitled to Nothing.
It is yet another ruling that shields the government from liability for damages caused by law enforcement.
DHS Says Recording or Following Law Enforcement 'Sure Sounds Like Obstruction of Justice'
Seven federal circuit courts have upheld the First Amendment right to record and monitor the police.
Shein Can't Sell Sex Toys Unless It Checks IDs, French Court Says
Laws requiring porn platforms to age-check visitors are becoming "a Swiss army knife for the government."
2 Grand Juries Have Rejected the Grudge-Driven Case Against Trump Foe Letitia James
The back-to-back setbacks are a striking sign that the mortgage fraud charges against New York's attorney general are legally shaky.
SCOTUS Sounds Ready To Let Trump Fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter
Plus: It's the final day of Reason's webathon.
No, SCOTUS Did Not 'Invent' Judicial Review in Marbury v. Madison
The Supreme Court’s power to nullify legislative and executive acts is inherent in the Constitution.
A Case That Briefly United Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor
Plus: Jimmy Cliff, RIP.
Federal Judge Dismisses Comey and James Indictments, Saying Trump's U.S. Attorney Appointment Was Illegal
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, so the Justice Department can try again.
Can the Government Mandate a Vaccine for Your Own Good? This Federal Court Says Yes.
The 9th Circuit made a ruling this year that could allow far-ranging government interference with private health decisions.
New Jersey Becomes First State To Bar 'Shaken Baby Syndrome' Testimony at Trial
Dozens of "shaken baby syndrome" convictions have been overturned over the years, but until now, no state court system has limited its use in criminal prosecutions.
The Supreme Court's Next Big Immigration Case
Plus: Ken Burns’ The American Revolution is worth your time.
Less Indictable Than a Ham Sandwich
They say a grand jury would indict a ham sandwich. But failing to get indictments has been a hallmark of the second Trump administration.
Why Does SCOTUS Hear So Few Second Amendment Cases?
The right to keep and bear arms occupies a curious place in American legal history.
Greta Rideout's Landmark Rape Case Against Her Husband: 'I Did It for My Daughter'
Author Sarah Weinman's Without Consent tells the story of the legal and political battles to outlaw spousal rape in the U.S.
This Ruling Does Not Bode Well for Trump's Attempt To Portray Journalism as Consumer Fraud
On Thursday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that echoed Donald Trump's claims against the Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer.
Baseball's Solution to the Dodgers Isn't a Salary Cap
Plus: Teams in city-owned stadiums keep ending up in court, and Israeli soccer fans get banned from a match in England
Trump's Tariffs and John Roberts' Credibility
Learning Resources v. Trump will test both executive power and judicial fidelity.
Illinois Is Taking the Feds to Court Over 'Trump's Invasion' of Chicago
"The Trump Administration's Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
James Comey Says His Grudge-Driven Prosecution Is Unconstitutional Retaliation for His Criticism of Trump
The former FBI director also argues that the charges against him are legally deficient and that the prosecutor who brought them was improperly appointed.
They Face $1 Million in Fines—for Someone Else's Code Violations
Humboldt County, California's sketchy code enforcement scheme piles ruinous fines on innocent people and sets them up to lose.
Minnesota Cop Who Fabricated a Sex-Trafficking Ring Won't Be Held Accountable
The officer made up information and lied multiple times under oath but the government says she has federal immunity.
What the Japanese Internment Case Teaches About Judicial Deference to Presidential Power
Long-ago debates about executive authority are not as distant as they might initially seem.
