Trump Thinks Any Judge Who Rules Against Him Is in League With the 'Radical Left'
The president's wildly inaccurate ideological labels are no more meaningful than his other ad hominem attacks on people who disagree with him.
Federal Courts
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.
Trump's Tariff Troubles
Plus: Minnesota Medicaid funds, AI vs. jobs, Taylor Lorenz's libertarian moment, and more...
The ACLU, Long Leery of the Second Amendment, Joins the NRA in Urging SCOTUS To Uphold Pot Users' Gun Rights
"We see this as an important civil liberties issue," says an ACLU lawyer.
Iowa Officials Arrested This Guy for Criticizing Them—Twice. A Federal Judge Says They Are Liable.
A mayor and a police chief "mistook their authority to maintain order for a license to suppress criticism," says U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose.
Trump's Rationale for His New Tariffs Contradicts the Position He Took Before His Supreme Court Defeat
The president is relying on a provision that the government's lawyers said had no "obvious application" to his goal of reducing the trade deficit.
Trump's New Tariffs Are Probably Illegal Too
Attorneys for the Trump administration even admitted that Section 122 can't be applied to address trade deficits. Trump is now trying to do that anyway.
Trump's Tantrum Over the Tariff Decision Highlights His Narcissistic Authoritarianism
The president neither understands nor appreciates the vital role of judicial independence in upholding the rule of law.
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.
Even Without the 'Emergency' Powers SCOTUS Rejected, Trump Has a Bunch of Tariff Options
There are many laws that explicitly authorize the president to impose taxes on imports, but they include limits that Trump was keen to avoid.
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.
A Consumer Fraud Complaint About 'Boneless Wings' Won't Fly, a Federal Judge Rules
Aimen Halim sued Buffalo Wild Wings, saying he was tricked into buying chicken breast nuggets when he thought he was getting deboned wings.
Trump's Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt To Punish His Congressional Critics Hits 2 Roadblocks
A grand jury and a federal judge rejected the president’s vendetta against legislators who produced a video about the duty to refuse unlawful military orders.
A Federal Judge Explains Why Trump Can't Jail Legislators for Producing a Video That Offended Him
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon notes that Sen. Mark Kelly's comments about unlawful military orders were "unquestionably protected" by the First Amendment.
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.
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 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.
'This Job Sucks'
Plus: the partial withdrawal of federal agents from Minneapolis, shifting public opinion on immigration, and D.C.'s continued snowpocalypse.
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.
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…
The NRA and NORML Unite To Oppose the Federal Gun Ban for Marijuana Users
Drug policy reformers and Second Amendment advocates team up in a case before the Supreme Court.
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.
Disarming Millions of Americans Simply Because They Use Marijuana Is Unconstitutional, a SCOTUS Brief Says
The Liberty Justice Center is urging the Supreme Court to uphold a 5th Circuit decision rejecting the claim that cannabis consumers have no Second Amendment rights.
A Trump-Appointed Federal Judge Orders Lindsey Halligan To Stop 'Masquerading' As a U.S. Attorney
The lawyer, who delivered the grudge-driven indictments that the president demanded, refused to relinquish her job after another judge ruled that her appointment was illegal.
19 States That Legalized Marijuana Use Nevertheless Say It Should Disqualify People From Owning Guns
They are joining the Trump administration in urging the Supreme Court to uphold a federal law that disarms "unlawful" drug consumers.
A School District Cop Allegedly Did Nothing To Stop the Uvalde Mass Shooting. Was That Failure a Crime?
Adrian Gonzales is on trial for acts of "omission" that prosecutors say amounted to 29 felony counts of child endangerment.
California's Ban on Openly Carrying Guns Is Unconstitutional, 9th Circuit Says
The ruling, which emphasizes the lack of historical support for such a law, is unlikely to survive en banc review.
3 Areas Where the Courts Pushed Back Against Trump's Attempts To Avoid Judicial Review in 2025
The president asserted broad powers to deport people, impose tariffs, and deploy the National Guard based on his own unilateral determinations.
How Politicians and Cops Tried To Dodge Responsibility in 2025
Presidents, legislators, and police officers were desperate to blame anyone but themselves.
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.
The DOJ Assails D.C.'s 'Assault Weapon' Ban As an Arbitrary, Historically Ungrounded Gun Law
The department's lawsuit notes that the prohibited firearms are "in common use" for "lawful purposes," meaning they are covered by the Second Amendment.
Refusing To Let Trump Deploy the National Guard in Chicago, SCOTUS Adds a New Wrinkle To the Debate
The justices suggested the president is misinterpreting "the regular forces," a key phrase in the statute on which he is relying.
The 9th Circuit Upholds a University of Washington Professor's Right to Mock 'Land Acknowledgments'
The appeals court ruled that administrators violated Stuart Reges' First Amendment rights when they investigated and threatened to punish him for constitutionally protected speech.
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.
A Texas News Vlogger Asks SCOTUS To Decide Whether Criminalizing Journalism Is 'Obviously Unconstitutional'
This is Priscilla Villarreal’s second trip to the Supreme Court, which last year revived her First Amendment lawsuit.
The Government Wants To Punish Orgasmic Meditation Defendants for Crimes They Weren't Charged With
The prosecutors argue that sentencing based on unconvicted—or even uncharged—conduct doesn't violate due process.
Federal Judge Confirms What We Already Knew: DHS Is Breaking Its Own Rules in D.C. Immigration Arrests
United States District Judge Beryl A. Howell said the Department of Homeland Security’s own statements about its policy and practice reveal an “abandonment of the probable cause standard.”
Trump Tries To Cut Congress Out of U.S. Attorney Appointments
The 3rd Circuit’s ruling against Alina Habba highlights a disturbing pattern of legal evasion.
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.
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.
A Rookie Procedural Mistake by James Comey's Prosecutor Could Doom the Case Against Him
Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan concedes that the grand jury never saw the "edited" version of the indictment.
This Gun Case Harks Back to Constitutional Concerns About the Limits of Federal Power That Now Seem Quaint
Congress justified that National Firearms Act of 1934 as a revenue measure—a rationale undermined by the repeal of taxes on suppressors and short-barreled rifles.
Will SCOTUS Resolve the Circuit Split on a Law That Disarms People With Nonviolent Criminal Records?
Steven Duarte is one of several petitioners who are asking the justices to address the constitutionality of that absurdly broad gun ban.
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.
Federal Judge Blasts 'Disgusting' ICE Facility Conditions, Orders Basic Humane Treatment for Detainees
“The evidence has been pretty strong that his facility is no longer just a temporary holding facility,” said U.S. District Court Judge Robert Gettleman. “It has really become a prison.”
In Tariff Case, Trump's Attorneys Can't Decide if Foreign Investment Is Good or Bad for America
The administration's legal brief reveals a critical contradiction in Trump's trade policies.
