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.
Federal Courts
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.
Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Is an Unconstitutional Tax, a Federal Judge Rules
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin struck down the fee, saying it exceeds the president's statutory authority and violates the separation of powers.
In Lawsuit Over Construction Raids, DHS Official Testifies ICE Agents Can't Trust REAL IDs
A Homeland Security official's testimony that ICE agents couldn't rely on REAL IDs as proof of citizenship led a federal judge to reply, "Help me understand how that makes sense."
Instacart Is Suing New York City Over Its $22.13 Minimum Wage for Delivery Drivers
The economic fallout of the law has been significant. Is it even legal?
This Attempt by the Trump Administration To Cripple Legal Immigration Is Illegal, Judge Rules
The government had imposed an indefinite pause on adjudicating asylum petitions and applications for green cards, work permits, and citizenship for legal immigrants from certain countries.
Even If Trump's Ballroom Project Is Illegal, a DOJ Lawyer Says, the Courts Cannot Stop It
The D.C. Circuit is reviewing an injunction issued by a judge who said "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have."
The Trump Administration Is Still Fighting To Keep Billions in Illegal Tariff Revenue
The administration has paid $20 billion in refunds. Now, it is asking a federal appeals court to limit which businesses will get the rest.
Todd Blanche Hates 'Weaponization' of Government Unless It Benefits His Boss
Blanche is happy to pervert justice in service of the president's personal agenda. No wonder Trump wants to keep him as attorney general.
Lawsuit Says a Memphis Police Task Force Waged a Harassment Campaign Against People Who Filmed Them
The American Civil Liberties Union is asking a judge to block the Memphis Safe Task Force from retaliating against anyone who exercises their First Amendment right to record the police.
Trump's Immunity Deal Stinks Even More Than His Blatantly Corrupt 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
An addendum to the president's "settlement" of his lawsuit against the IRS shields him and his family from liability for any federal offenses they committed prior to May 19.
Trump's Self-Promotion Is Always Shameless and Sometimes Illegal
The president tramples the rule of law in his rush to glorify himself.
Trump Is Reportedly Reconsidering His Politically and Legally Contentious 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
The Justice Department signals a retreat from defending the blatantly corrupt scheme, which provoked vigorous objections from Republican lawmakers.
Trump Broke the Law When He Slapped His Name on the Kennedy Center, a Federal Judge Says
The decision is a modest but welcome victory for the rule of law.
Trump's Corrupt 'Settlement' With the IRS Hits Two Judicial Roadblocks
One order temporarily blocks money for the president's "Anti-Weaponization Fund." The other asks whether the agreement is a fraudulent "product of collusion."
Rejected Search Warrant Applications Raise Further Questions About the Federal Case Against Don Lemon
After a magistrate judge said a DHS investigator had failed to establish probable cause, the government decided it did not need the YouTube and iPhone records after all.
High Liquor Taxes and a Home Distillation Ban Guarantee a Thriving Booze Black Market
The courts have an opportunity to legalize small-scale distillation, but taxes remain a problem.
A SWAT Team Destroyed an Innocent Woman's Home. She's Been Waiting 6 Years for Justice.
Vicki Baker is more fortunate than several other similarly situated victims. But it took a very long time to get there.
Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Is Built on a Contradiction
The president has fought to make sure alleged victims of government misconduct cannot get compensation. What changed?
The $1.776 Billion in Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Fits a Pattern of Fanciful Figures
In one lawsuit after another, the president has claimed damages in amounts completely disconnected from reality.
A Tennessee Man Jailed for 37 Days Because of an Anti-Trump Meme Will Get $835,000 for His Trouble
Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems preposterously claimed that Larry Bushart had threatened "mass violence" at a school.
A State Assault Case Against an ICE Agent Could Illustrate the Limits of Supremacy Clause Immunity
That defense applies only when an officer "reasonably" believed he was acting within his federal authority.
Filming Cops Is a First Amendment Right. The Feds Keep Harassing People for It Anyway.
Most federal appeals courts have recognized the right to record police. DHS employees nevertheless seem to view it as a crime.
Virginia's New 'Assault Firearm' Ban Is Plainly Unconstitutional, a Federal Lawsuit Argues
Three Second Amendment groups say the law violates the right to own arms in common use for self-defense and other lawful purposes.
Judge Stops U.S. Treasury From Sanctioning Someone's Speech
The Trump administration accused Francesca Albanese of “lawfare that targets U.S. and Israeli persons.” But a court said that’s not ground to seize her property.
Cops Get Qualified Immunity After Michigan Man Spends 13 Hours in Vomit and Dies in Jail
A court granted qualified immunity to all 11 deputies accused of violating John Griswold’s 14th Amendment rights.
A Circuit Split Gives SCOTUS an Opportunity To Overturn a Federal Law That Makes Home Distilling a Felony
The 6th Circuit upheld that 158-year-old law, while the 5th Circuit concluded it could not be justified as a revenue measure.
The Trump Administration Is a Powerful but Unreliable Ally of Second Amendment Advocates
Even as the Justice Department files lawsuits aimed at vindicating gun rights, it undermines them in other cases.
How the ACLU Started Defending the Second Amendment
The civil liberties group, which long maintained that there is no constitutional right to arms, sang a different tune at the Supreme Court this year.
D.C. Circuit Seems Disinclined To Let Pete Hegseth Punish a Senator for His Speech
The defense secretary argues that military retirees like Sen. Mark Kelly are not allowed to say things he unilaterally deems "prejudicial to good order and discipline."
Federal Court: Trump's Newest Tariffs Are Also Illegal
Trump's use of Section 122 ignored the plain language of the law and invoked a broad executive power where Congress clearly provided a narrow one.
DOJ Challenges Denver's 'Assault Weapon' Ban and Colorado's Magazine Limit
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argues that both laws violate the Second Amendment by banning arms in common use for lawful purposes.
Whatever Evidence the DOJ Has Against James Comey, It Cannot Transform '86 47' Into a Death Threat
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche implausibly claims prosecutors can prove Comey "knowingly and willfully" threatened to murder the president.
