He Spent Nearly 6 Years in Prison Based on the Word of a Notoriously Dishonest Houston Drug Cop
In a federal lawsuit, Byron Prophet argues that police supervisors "turned a blind eye" for years as Gerald Goines framed innocent people.
Federal Courts
Florida Students Punished for Silent Protest Against ICE Get Free Speech Victory in Federal Court
A federal judge sided with the Florida International University students who sued over their school's student expression policy.
Brendan Carr's Vendetta Against ABC Conflates the 'Public Interest' With Trump's Personal Grievances
The FCC chairman is punishing the network for news coverage and programming decisions that offend the president.
The Freedom 250 IndyCar Race Only Looked Like MAGA Propaganda if You Already Hate Trump
Plus: Should the race happen again, or just be a one-off event? Also, NCAA eligibility is all messed up, and sports can teach us about immigration.
ICE Admits It Investigated a Critic Based on Constitutionally Protected Speech
The agency’s attempt to intimidate David Streever is at the center of a First Amendment case.
Appeals Court Upholds Right To Film Police—but Grants Immunity to Cops Who Arrested a Connecticut Videographer
The 2nd Circuit is the latest federal circuit court to find a First Amendment right to record the police.
Trump's Assault on Judicial Review Undermines a Crucial Safeguard Against Tyranny
In one case after another, the president has tried to cut the courts out of the picture painted by the Framers.
Trump's Ballroom Fight Could Make Courts Rethink 'National Security' Deference
Appealing to national security is not a "get-out-of-law-free card," a federal court ruled last week.
Another Social Media 'Addiction' Trial Starts Today. Its Claims Are Weak—but Dangerous.
Meta is on trial for fomenting "FOMO," among other things. It sounds silly, but the playbook used here could work against religious groups, fast food, and much more.
A Gun Ruling Highlights the Tricks Congress Uses To Evade Limits on Its Power
During the last century, the Commerce Clause has replaced the Taxing Clause as an excuse for federal legislation.
D.C. Circuit Upholds Injunction Against Trump's Ballroom
The Constitution assigns control of federal property to Congress, which never approved the president's demolition and replacement of the East Wing.
Courts Say the Justice Department Is Shredding the 'Presumption of Regularity.' It Never Deserved Extra Trust.
Misconduct and misrepresentations by Justice Department lawyers have led some federal judges to question the traditional benefit of the doubt they give to the government.
A Federal Judge Rejects National Firearms Act Regulations, Saying Their Tax Rationale No Longer Applies
When Congress eliminated taxes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, it also eliminated the constitutional justification for regulating them.
Todd Blanche's Concessions Underline the Flagrant Phoniness of Trump's IRS 'Settlement'
The acting attorney general confirms his dishonesty in presenting that jaw-dropping scam as the resolution of a bona fide legal dispute.
Todd Blanche's Nomination Is in Trouble. It Should Have Been Doomed From the Beginning.
By haggling over the details of Trump's flagrantly corrupt IRS "settlement," dissenting Republican senators give a pass to Blanche's unethical and illegal approval of it.
Trump Keeps Pushing Legally Dubious Tariffs
The president's latest round of broad import taxes, like the previous two, treats his statutory authority as an afterthought.
The Energy Department Admits the OMB Canceled Grants 'Solely' To Punish Trump's Political Opponents
The episode illustrates the president's routine weaponization of government against his enemies.
Anthropic's $1.5 Billion Copyright Settlement Sets a Bad Precedent
The record settlement pushes AI companies away from a fair use fight they might have won.
A Man Died of COVID at This California Detention Center. A Judge Just Ordered Sweeping Improvements There.
A federal judge ordered sweeping improvements to conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California. Families say their loved ones died of neglect inside.
South Dakota Can't Stop Website From Informing Women About Abortion Pills
And it can't ban a former state lawmaker from wearing a sweatshirt that advertises that website, either.
New Jersey's Bans on Commonly Owned Rifles and Magazines Are Unconstitutional, the 3rd Circuit Says
In a decision written by a Joe Biden nominee, the appeals court addresses a long-simmering issue that the Supreme Court will consider during its next term.
A Pipeline Company Seized Their Land and Left Them With a $383,000 Bill. What Will the Supreme Court Say?
Leonard Hoffmann and his neighbors in North Dakota went to court to fight for fair market value—as the Constitution promises—after WBI Energy Transmission said it would take their land at a discount.
This Biotech Company Has Spent Nearly 3 Years in FDA Limbo
The FDA says it can't license Regenative Lab's overseas sales today because it might change its regulations tomorrow. Now, the company is suing.
Illinois Will Finally Stop Stripping People of Their Home Equity—3 Years After the Supreme Court Outlawed It
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that promises property owners will receive the surplus proceeds when the government seizes their home to satisfy a tax debt.
Todd Blanche Describes the Huge, Unprecedented Favors Granted by Trump's IRS 'Settlement' as 'Typical'
During his confirmation hearing, the attorney general nominee repeatedly misrepresented the nature and scope of the sweeping immunity deal he approved.
During His Confirmation Hearing, Todd Blanche Defends Trump's Blatantly Corrupt IRS 'Settlement'
Contradicting a federal judge, the acting attorney general, who blessed that cozy arrangement, insists it was not a product of collusion or self-dealing.
By Blessing Corruption, Todd Blanche Has Disqualified Himself From the Job He Wants
Trump’s nominee for attorney general has repeatedly subverted justice to benefit his boss.
A Federal Judge Slams Trump's IRS Lawsuit As a Pretext for Delivering a Phony 'Settlement'
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams concludes that the case never presented a true "case or controversy" because both sides were controlled by the president.
First Amendment Protects Universities From Florida's Stop WOKE Act
In the U.S., government officials aren’t allowed to fight ideas they don’t like with censorship.
Police Used a Truck Inspection To Search for Drugs. The 7th Circuit Said the Fourth Amendment Forbids It.
Cops stopped a semitruck because of a drug tip, then tried to dress the illegal search up as a routine inspection.
A Trump-Appointed Judge Quashes a Subpoena Aimed at Validating the President's Stolen-Election Fantasy
The decision rebukes the DOJ for demanding "private and sensitive" information about Georgia election workers "with no legitimate law enforcement purpose."
The DOJ Challenges Virginia's 'Assault Firearm' Law and California's Glock Ban
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argues that both laws are unconstitutional because they prohibit arms in common use for lawful purposes.
The 5th Circuit Says a Houston Cop Reasonably Killed 2 Innocent People Falsely Accused of Selling Heroin
The officer's avowed reasons for killing Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were contradicted by the physical evidence.
The Supreme Court Agrees To Address the Constitutionality of 'Assault Weapon' Bans
The case could settle the long-simmering issue of whether the Second Amendment covers commonly owned but politically disfavored rifles.
Here Are Some Ways SCOTUS Can Constrain Federal Agencies That Are Now Subject to Trump's Untrammeled Control
The Supreme Court has "no shortage of tools" to enforce the separation of powers, Justice Neil Gorsuch notes. "The only real question is whether we will use them."
Can the President Fire Anyone He Wants? Yes, Unless the Target Is Part of the Federal Reserve.
In a pair of decisions on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have full authority to fire heads of executive branch agencies—but that the Fed is different.
Supreme Court Ruling Offers Hope to an Iowa Marijuana User Who Got 4 Years for Owning Guns
The Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Hemani could open the door to relief for cannabis consumers convicted of illegal gun possession.
SCOTUS Unanimously Ruled That the Second Amendment Trumps Anti-Drug Sentiment
The decision is a modest but welcome step toward rectifying the injustice of criminalizing conduct that violates no one’s rights.
The Government Seized Their $195,000 Home Over a $2,242 Debt. What Does the Supreme Court Say They're Owed?
The Pung family of Isabella County, Michigan, maintained they were entitled to fair market value. The high court disagreed, but with a twist.
35 Retired Federal Judges Slam Trump's 'Laughable' Defense of His 'Obviously Collusive' IRS Settlement
The DOJ's unilateral abandonment of the Anti-Weaponization Fund "makes it crystal clear that these parties were never adverse," the former judges argue.
6th Circuit Backs Ban on Ohio Minors Using Social Media Without Parental Permission
The court said the law—which would require age verification for everyone—constitutes only a “marginal burden” and "does not raise meaningful concerns about muting valuable protected discourse."
A Supreme Court Decision Restricting Appeal Waivers Underlines the Injustice of Coercive Plea Bargaining
The Supreme Court ruled that "an agreement not to appeal a sentence is unenforceable when it would result in a miscarriage of justice."
Louisiana Cops Threatened To Arrest a Man for Handing Out Religious Leaflets. They Got Qualified Immunity.
Richard Hershey is asking the Supreme Court to overrule a 5th Circuit decision that blocked the lawsuit provoked by that obvious First Amendment violation.
The Trump Administration Seriously Considered Unilaterally Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus
The proposal was nixed only after White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf explained why it was legally dubious.
A Colorado Town Will Pay $675,000 To Settle a Lawsuit After a Police Officer Shot a Family's Dog
The family's attorney says it's the largest settlement for a dog shooting case in Colorado history.
Trump's Lawyers Insist There Is 'No Evidence' of 'Collusion or Fraud' in His 'Settlement With Myself'
The sweet deal that resolved the president's fatally flawed lawsuit against the IRS was business as usual at the DOJ, his attorneys told a federal judge.
A DOJ Brief Preposterously Insists That Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Was Politically Neutral
The president himself has repeatedly contradicted that claim.
Trump's Position in the White House Ballroom Case Reflects His General Resistance to Judicial Review
The president has repeatedly argued that courts have no business deciding whether his actions are legal.
