SCOTUS Rules Against an Innocent Man Who Was Choked and Beaten by Cops, but He May Still Get His Day in Court
The justices did not address one of James King's key arguments, which the 6th Circuit will now consider.
Litigation
States Can Provide Their Own Civil Remedies for Police Abuse
They need not wait for the Supreme Court or Congress to restrict or abolish qualified immunity.
A $2.7 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Says Fox Hosts Recklessly Implicated Smartmatic in a Conspiracy To Steal the Election
Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, and Jeanine Pirro persistently promoted the wild claims of Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
Thanks to Colorado's Reforms, Cops Who Forced Children To Lie on the Pavement at Gunpoint Might Be Held Accountable
A state law eliminated qualified immunity as a defense for abusive officers.
Two Federal Lawsuits Say the Houston Police Department's Culture of Corruption and Impunity Killed an Innocent Couple
The families of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas say the city's policies and practices invited Fourth Amendment violations.
Surely Rudy Giuliani's 'Conclusive Proof' of Machine-Based Election Fraud Will Save Him From Dominion's $1.3 Billion Defamation Lawsuit
The company says Donald Trump's leading lawyer perpetrated "a viral disinformation campaign" based on "demonstrably false" charges.
An Abject Apology Highlights the Legal Exposure for Promoters of Trump's Election Fraud Fantasies
American Thinker says its claims about Dominion Voting Systems were "completely false."
A New Report Casts Doubt on Both Fears and Hopes About the Consequences of Abolishing Qualified Immunity
A Connecticut law that made it easier to sue abusive cops is not expected to have a noticeable effect on municipal insurance costs.
Sidney Powell's Loony Election Claims, Which Gave Birth to the Deadly Capitol Invasion, May Finally Cost Her
Dominion Voting Systems, the focus of the former Trump campaign lawyer's conspiracy theory, is seeking $1.3 billion from her for defamation.
Trump's Lawyers Surrender in Georgia Despite Giuliani's 'Conclusive Proof' of Election Fraud
Trump attorney Kurt Hilbert claimed he had reached settlement agreements with state officials, which was news to them.
Was Sidney Powell's Conspiracy Theory Too Crazy Even for Donald Trump?
Both the president and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, have publicly embraced Powell's wild claims about voting machine manipulation.
A Scathing Ruling Against the Trump Campaign Highlights the Gap Between Rudy Giuliani's 'Massive Fraud' Claim and His Legal Arguments
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann rejected an attempt to block certification of Pennsylvania's election results.
Clobbering Purdue Pharma Makes Drug Warriors Feel Good, but It Won't Reduce Opioid-Related Deaths
The $8.3 billion DOJ settlement is part of a crackdown that has perversely pushed drug users toward more dangerous substitutes.
$465 Million Judgment Against Johnson & Johnson Threatens Freedom of Speech
A brief supporting the company's appeal argues that its discussion of pain treatment was constitutionally protected.
Amy Coney Barrett Demolishes the Qualified Immunity Claim of a Detective Accused of Framing a Man for Murder
The case is an encouraging sign that the SCOTUS contender is not the sort of judge who bends over backward to shield cops from liability for outrageous misconduct.
Chicago Residents Wait Months for Permission To Defend Themselves
Despite an alarming increase in crime, Illinois is illegally delaying gun licenses.
Is New York's Attack on the NRA Meant To Punish the Gun Rights Cause for Executive Malfeasance?
Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb insists "the strength of the NRA is not only in its leadership but in its members," who can do their work outside the NRA's aegis.
Would Derek Chauvin Receive Qualified Immunity for Killing George Floyd?
The answer speaks volumes about the extent to which that doctrine protects police officers from liability for outrageous conduct.
Another Judge Rules That Ohio's COVID-19 Lockdown Is Illegal
The decision says the "unbridled and unfettered consolidation of authority in one unelected official" violates due process and the separation of powers.
Will the Cops Who Killed Kenneth Chamberlain After Illegally Breaking Into His Apartment Ever Be Held Accountable?
Responding to a medical alert they knew was erroneous, White Plains officers killed the man they supposedly were trying to help.
Maybe Cops Should Be 'Pulling Back'
Abolishing qualified immunity is a crucial step in holding police accountable for violating our rights.
The Attorney General's Overblown Fears About Scrapping Qualified Immunity
It's not likely to have the chilling effect he expects. Unfortunately, it might not do as much as criminal justice reformers expect either.
Ohio Judge Deems the State's COVID-19 Lockdown 'Arbitrary, Unreasonable, and Oppressive'
The ruling says the state's top health official exceeded her statutory authority by ordering "nonessential" businesses to close.
Lockdown Lawsuits Ask How Long a Public Health Emergency Can Last
An Illinois resident obtained a TRO by citing a 30-day limit, while a New Hampshire hair salon owner says the goal of her state's lockdown has been achieved.
Court Rejects Motion to Seal Litigation Finance Agreements
"The public may well have an interest in how litigation is funded by third parties," the judge concludes. A law firm and two litigation finance companies are disputing (among other things) whether the litigation finance agreements are illegally usurious.
SCOTUS Declines To Intervene in Lawsuit Blaming Gun Maker for Sandy Hook Massacre
The plaintiffs now have to prove that Remington's advertising was not only "unfair or deceptive" but "a proximate cause" of the attack.
The False Premises of the Ruling Against Johnson & Johnson
Blaming opioid makers for the "opioid crisis" may be emotionally satisfying, but the reality is more complicated.
The Oklahoma Ruling Against Johnson & Johnson Hinges on a Sweeping Definition of 'Public Nuisance'
Can legal sales of prescription opioids constitute a nuisance? Two decisions, based on nearly identical statutes, reach diametrically opposed conclusions.
Relying on the Same Illogic That Trump Used to Ban Bump Stocks, a New Lawsuit Argues That Customizable Rifles Are Illegal
The plaintiffs say manufacturers broke the law by producing rifles that were compatible with accessories that facilitate rapid firing.
Bayer to Waste $5.6 Billion Trying to Appease Anti-Pesticide Activists
This will fail and more pressing problems will be neglected
Lawsuit Against Suppliers of the Rifle Used in the Sandy Hook Massacre Will Proceed
The Connecticut Supreme Court rejects an absurdly broad definition of "negligent entrustment" but allows a claim based on "unfair trading practices."
Verdict for Marijuana Grower May Reduce Threat of Ruinous RICO Liability
A Colorado jury rejected claims that an indoor cultivation facility had injured the owners of a neighboring horse ranch.
City Threatens to Sue Online Gadfly for Complaining About Bad Smells
A web developer's First Amendment lawsuit says Sibley, Iowa, officials conspired to silence him.
Judges Not Eating Up Class-Action Food Lawsuits
Lawyers look to cash in for the silliest of reasons.
Court Kills Most of Idaho's Law Against Secret Farm Recordings
A likely-fatal blow to to the state's censorious "ag gag" law
States Partner to Sue Massachusetts, California Over Costly Livestock Bans
Two states attempt to dictate how farmers outside their boundaries treat their animals.
Florida Appeals Court Upholds City's Veggie-Garden Ban
A court says a city can squash your property rights because it thinks vegetables are ugly.
The Ninth Circuit's Foie Gras Blunder
A federal appeals court raises California's unconstitutional ban from the dead.
Bikini Barista Lawsuit Defends Freedom to Espresso Oneself
A group of coffee industry workers sues Everett, Wash. over city's new anti-bikini ordinances.
Too Many Calories in Your Candy? That's a Lawsuit!
Legal threats over food marketing appear to be on the rise. But who really benefits?
New York City Sued Over Unconstitutional Menu-Labeling Law
A handful of food-industry groups say an equally bad federal law takes precedence.
Momentum Building to Cast Off USDA Checkoff Marketing Programs
Two lawsuits and action in Congress indicate wasteful, unconstitutional mandates may be on their way out.
Philando Castile's Mother to Get $3 Million From City That Hired Cop Who Killed Him
Do settlement amounts reflect police culpability in deaths?
Are Terrible State Alcohol Laws on the Way Out?
A South Carolina Supreme Court decision rejects rules based on economic protectionism.
10th Circuit Allows RICO Suits Against State-Licensed Pot Suppliers
But the appeals court rejected claims against state and local officials who regulate marijuana businesses.
Ninth Circuit Should Strike Down Idaho's 'Ag-Gag' Appeal
The court should uphold a lower-court ruling suppressing the unconstitutional (and unconscionable) law.
Will the New York Times' Labor Reporting Ever Get the Facts Straight?
After an embarrassing correction, the paper mangles the details again.
KittenFeed Hoax Shows the Perils of Expecting Trump to Act Like Trump
A story about a teenager who was bullied by the president for creating a website that mocked him was not true, but it was sadly plausible.