Trump's Dismissed Epstein Letter Lawsuit Is the Latest Example of His Failure To State Cognizable Claims
The president's defamation case against The Wall Street Journal fits a pattern of frivolous litigation aimed at punishing speech that irks him.
Litigation
Trump's Election Interference in California and Alaska Prompts a Series of Judicial Rebukes
Four federal courts say the Trump administration is trying to usurp the states' constitutional authority over elections.
Trump's Claims About Noncitizen Voting Are 'Not Credible,' a Federal Judge Says in a Scathing Decision
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the Justice Department's demand that California officials segregate ballots from 20,000 voters it describes as "likely noncitizens."
The Feds Took $460,000 From This Arizona Convenience Store Owner and Never Explained Why
Mario Ayala is seeking the return of his property, which federal agents seized more than a year and a half ago for reasons that remain mysterious.
2 Recent Cases Illustrate the Limits of a Doctrine That Often Blocks Civil Rights Claims
Federal appeals courts rejected qualified immunity for cops and a judge who flouted longstanding constitutional principles.
Trump's 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods Illegally Rely on a Superseded Statute, a Lawsuit Argues
The import taxes fit a pattern of dubious legal rationales for the president's protectionist policies.
A Texas Lawsuit Dubiously Accuses Students for Life of Violating the State's Abortion Pill Restrictions
The case, styled as a critique of the state's "vigilante" statute, aims to punish anti-abortion activists for constitutionally protected advocacy.
The 8th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for a Judge Who Jailed 2 Kids for 'Refusing To Follow Directions'
Frustrated by the children's resistance to a parental custody decision, Judge Eric Eighmy locked them in cells until they became more cooperative.
The 3rd Circuit Upholds the Gun Rights of a Man Who Committed a Nonviolent Misdemeanor 2 Decades Ago
The appeals court said it was unconstitutional to permanently disarm Edward Williams based on a 2005 DUI conviction.
A Trump Appointee Says the President Likely Violated the First Amendment by Banishing Disfavored Journalists
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which Trump banned from the White House because of their "purposely negative stories."
Trump Has Been Trampling Free Speech for More Than 40 Years—and It Keeps Getting Worse
The president stands out from his modern predecessors by openly displaying his contempt for the First Amendment.
Despite a Notable Victory in Oklahoma, Legal Challenges to Flock Cameras Still Face Long Odds
State and federal courts have almost uniformly ruled that searches of ALPR databases do not implicate the Fourth Amendment.
Trump Keeps Contradicting the 'National Security' Rationale for Banishing Disfavored Journalists
Attorney General Todd Blanche, who complains that CNN's coverage is "almost 100 percent negative towards the president," also has trouble keeping the story straight.
2 Lawsuits Cast Further Doubt on the Claim That ICE Agent Jonathan Ross Killed Renée Good in Self-Defense
According to complaints filed by Good's family, Ross was not in any danger when he fired three shots into her car.
Judge Preliminarily Blesses $1.5 Million Settlement for Victims of a Tiny Town's 'Policing for Profit'
Financially motivated traffic enforcement produced a huge surge in revenue for Brookside, Alabama, where "fines and forfeitures" accounted for half the city's income in 2020.
The FDA Promises To Streamline the Dauntingly Complex Rules for Approving Nicotine Products
The planned reforms could promote harm reduction by addressing a huge backlog that has resulted in routine violations of a statutory deadline.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for Cops Who Searched a Driver After a Bogus Traffic Stop
"It is clearly established that an officer cannot pull someone over without reasonable suspicion and thereafter concoct a fabricated traffic violation," the appeals court says.
An Iowa Judge Rejects Trump's Unconstitutional Attempt To Recover Damages for 'Fake News'
The dismissal of the president's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register is a victory for freedom of the press.
A Trump Appointee Blocks the President's Banishment of Disfavored News Outlets
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly is skeptical of the belated "national security" rationale for banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.
After Banishing Journalists for Writing 'Purposely Negative' Stories, Trump Invokes 'National Security'
The president hopes that post-hoc rationalization will override due process and freedom of the press.
Trump's Banishment of Disfavored News Outlets Reflects His Contempt for Freedom of the Press
The president has a long history of retaliating against journalists who offend him.
3 Leading News Outlets Say Their Sudden Banishment From the White House Is Unconstitutional
In a federal lawsuit, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico argue that Trump's bans violate due process and freedom of the press.
Trump Re-Ups His Threat To Raze the Kennedy Center Unless He Can Slap His Name on It
After a federal judge rejected his attempts at self-glorification, Trump said the building will "end up being ripped down" if he does not get the "recognition" he wants.
A Federal Judge Enjoins DHS From Threatening To Prosecute a Critic for Constitutionally Protected Speech
After David Streever castigated ICE's acting director in an email, investigators delivered a "warning notice" saying he "may be in violation of federal law."
The Justification for New Time Limits on Student Visas 'Borders on the Absurd,' a Federal Judge Says
Although the impact of the DHS rule "is likely to be catastrophic," a George W. Bush appointee writes, the government's rationale is "exceptionally weak."
Former Trade Officials Explain Why Trump's Section 301 Tariffs Are Illegal
Their brief says the president is asserting "essentially boundless" authority to impose "economy-wide tariffs untethered from the statute Congress enacted."
Critics of AR-15 Bans Urge SCOTUS To Reject the 7th Circuit's Distinction Between Civilian and Military Arms
Given the Second Amendment's history, several briefs argue, a gun's suitability for militia service suggests Americans have a right to possess it.
A SCOTUS Petition Argues That the Second Amendment Requires Carry-Permit Reciprocity
Meanwhile, the top court of Massachusetts considers whether the state can deny carry permits to applicants who are deemed "unsuitable."
Professor Investigated for Mocking a University 'Land Acknowledgment' Gets a $600,000 Settlement
The agreement follows a 9th Circuit ruling that the University of Washington violated Stuart Reges' First Amendment rights by treating his dissent as intolerable "disruption."
Trump's White House Ballroom Is a Monument to His Lawlessness
By unilaterally razing and replacing the East Wing, the president again shows his disregard for the rule of law and the separation of powers.
The Belated Backlash Against Flock Cameras
Americans are starting to recognize the dangers of pervasive surveillance by automated license plate readers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trump Re-Ups the Anti-Weaponization Fund, Reinforcing the Demand That Todd Blanche Kill It for Good
The president is still pushing the idea of using taxpayer money to reward Capitol rioters, contradicting the attorney general nominee's assurance that it won't happen.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A New Jersey Judge Defies the First Amendment by Censoring News Coverage of a High School Lockdown
The judge contradicted Supreme Court precedents by ruling that a student's "privacy interests" trumped "the severe constitutional presumption" against prior restraints.
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.
