#william-o-douglas

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US politics
fromLos Angeles Times
1 day ago

The loophole that keeps a Trump loyalist serving as L.A.'s top federal prosecutor

Bill Essayli operates as a de facto U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, pursuing aggressive legal actions aligned with Trump's administration despite challenges to his position.
Law
fromAxios
1 day ago

Judge rejects Department of Justice bid to reinstate Powell subpoenas

The U.S. District Court denied the government's motion to reconsider the dismissal of grand jury subpoenas against Powell.
#supreme-court
fromwww.mediaite.com
3 days ago
US Elections

Trump-Appointed SCOTUS Justice Dunks on Solicitor General's Argument: Not Seeing' the Constitutional Relevance'

fromBoston.com
3 days ago
US news

Supreme Court seems poised to reject Trump's birthright citizenship limits as he attends arguments

fromCbsnews
4 days ago
Law

Supreme Court rules against Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds

LGBT
fromSlate Magazine
2 days ago

The Supreme Court Keeps Ignoring Actual LGBTQ+ People in Its Gay Rights Cases

The Supreme Court's decision in Chiles v. Salazar shows a lack of empathy for LGBTQ+ adolescents affected by conversion therapy.
US Elections
fromwww.mediaite.com
3 days ago

Trump-Appointed SCOTUS Justice Dunks on Solicitor General's Argument: Not Seeing' the Constitutional Relevance'

Kavanaugh questioned the relevance of comparing U.S. birthright citizenship to other countries during Supreme Court arguments.
fromBoston.com
3 days ago
US news

Supreme Court seems poised to reject Trump's birthright citizenship limits as he attends arguments

US Elections
fromwww.aljazeera.com
3 days ago

Hits close to home': US Supreme Court hears birthright citizenship case

The Supreme Court is considering ending automatic citizenship for infants born in the US, a practice upheld for over a century.
Law
fromCbsnews
4 days ago

Supreme Court rules against Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds

The Supreme Court ruled that Colorado's conversion therapy ban regulates speech based on viewpoint, requiring stricter scrutiny for its constitutionality.
LGBT
fromTruthout
4 days ago

Supreme Court Rules Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Violates Free Speech Rights

The Supreme Court ruled that a Colorado ban on conversion therapy violates free speech rights, allowing a discredited practice against medical recommendations.
#birthright-citizenship
fromSlate Magazine
2 days ago
US politics

"It's a New World. It's the Same Constitution."

The Supreme Court hears arguments on birthright citizenship, while Trump attempts to reassure Americans about the economy and foreign policy.
fromPoynter
4 days ago
US Elections

As the Supreme Court weighs birthright citizenship, Trump's claims don't add up - Poynter

The Supreme Court will decide on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship, a significant ruling affecting many U.S.-born babies.
Right-wing politics
fromwww.mediaite.com
4 days ago

Trump Goes Off on Key Constitutional Tenet: One of the Many Great Scams of Our Time!'

Trump claims birthright citizenship is exploited by wealthy foreigners and contradicts the 14th Amendment's original intent.
Social justice
fromABC7 San Francisco
4 days ago

Bay Area lawyers in Washington DC for Supreme Court birthright citizenship case

The Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment.
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
2 days ago

"It's a New World. It's the Same Constitution."

The Supreme Court hears arguments on birthright citizenship, while Trump attempts to reassure Americans about the economy and foreign policy.
US Elections
fromPoynter
4 days ago

As the Supreme Court weighs birthright citizenship, Trump's claims don't add up - Poynter

The Supreme Court will decide on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship, a significant ruling affecting many U.S.-born babies.
#first-amendment
Media industry
fromABC7 Los Angeles
4 days ago

Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS

A federal judge permanently blocked the Trump administration's directive to end funding for NPR and PBS, citing First Amendment rights.
Law
fromwww.npr.org
1 week ago

Supreme Courtdeclines toreviewpress freedom case

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging a Texas law that allows arresting reporters for obtaining information from government employees.
Media industry
fromABC7 Los Angeles
4 days ago

Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS

A federal judge permanently blocked the Trump administration's directive to end funding for NPR and PBS, citing First Amendment rights.
Law
fromwww.npr.org
1 week ago

Supreme Courtdeclines toreviewpress freedom case

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging a Texas law that allows arresting reporters for obtaining information from government employees.
Intellectual property law
fromNextgov.com
1 week ago

Judge blocks DOD's ban on Anthropic, calls it First Amendment retaliation

A federal judge temporarily blocked the government's ban on Anthropic, citing retaliation and due process violations by the Defense Department.
#department-of-justice
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
1 week ago

DOJ Lawyers Just Had to Make One of Their Most Embarrassing Confessions Yet

The DOJ admitted to making false statements regarding ICE's arrests of noncitizens at immigration courts.
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
1 week ago

DOJ Lawyers Just Had to Make One of Their Most Embarrassing Confessions Yet

The DOJ admitted to making false statements regarding ICE's arrests of noncitizens at immigration courts.
#trump
US Elections
fromwww.npr.org
4 days ago

Trump attends Supreme Court arguments over his executive order, a presidential first

Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding his executive order on birthright citizenship.
fromTruthout
3 days ago
US Elections

Trump Attends Supreme Court Arguments After Slamming Justices Who Are "Disloyal"

US Elections
fromwww.npr.org
4 days ago

Trump attends Supreme Court arguments over his executive order, a presidential first

Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding his executive order on birthright citizenship.
Law
fromAbove the Law
4 days ago

Morning Docket: 04.01.26 - Above the Law

Trump is involved in legal matters, including birthright citizenship arguments and a recent criminal conviction.
US Elections
fromTruthout
3 days ago

Trump Attends Supreme Court Arguments After Slamming Justices Who Are "Disloyal"

Trump's attendance at the Supreme Court raised concerns of intimidation regarding his executive order on birthright citizenship.
Law
fromAbove the Law
5 days ago

Biglaw To D.C. Circuit: This Isn't Just About Us - It's About Whether The President Can Put Lawyers On A Leash - Above the Law

The fight over Trump-era executive orders targeting Biglaw firms intensifies as firms argue these orders threaten constitutional independence and the rule of law.
Media industry
fromThe Nation
2 weeks ago

The Trump Administration Is Casually Torching the First Amendment

The U.S. press faces threats and manipulation under an authoritarian administration, impacting media ownership and freedom.
fromemptywheel
3 weeks ago

Mixing The Mixed Constitution - emptywheel

Burke's was a broadside that not only excoriated the social upheavals effected by the French revolutionaries and (by extension) commended by Marx, but the continual economic and social instability prized by modern liberal economic philosophy and practice. Against a new class of elites-mainly, an alliance between ideological progressive theorists and a rising financial oligarchy-Burke urged protection of the stability, tradition, and social continuities vital for the flourishing of ordinary people.
Left-wing politics
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
5 days ago

Does the Constitution Protect This Congresswoman From Trump?

The Trump administration uses criminal charges to intimidate dissenters, exemplified by Congress member LaMonica McIver's prosecution for protesting immigration enforcement.
Law
fromAbove the Law
6 days ago

Morning Docket: 03.30.26 - Above the Law

AI associates should not be blamed for failures, raising questions about their necessity.
fromSnowBrains
3 weeks ago

Oregon Passes Long-Awaited Liability Waiver Bill for Ski Areas and Recreation - SnowBrains

The issue dates back to a 2014 ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court stemming from a snowboard injury case at Mt. Bachelor. In that decision, the court determined that certain liability waivers signed by recreation participants could be considered "unconscionable contracts," effectively weakening their enforceability.
Snowboarding
fromOregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
2 weeks ago

Tribal sovereignty and civil rights focus of free 250th anniversary discussion on March 19 * Oregon ArtsWatch

The issue is really relevant now because the issue is being argued again in terms of things like states being able to pass rules to suppress votes that have been used before. For example, if a physical address is required to vote, many Indian lands have only recently gotten streets with addresses.
Social justice
#second-amendment
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

Justice Gorsuch: Originalism Requires We Recall That The Founders Knew How To F-ing Party - Above the Law

Justice Gorsuch argues that founding-era 'habitual drunkard' laws cannot justify modern firearm restrictions for drug users, citing evidence that Founders consumed far more alcohol than modern standards would classify as habitual use.
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

Justice Gorsuch: Originalism Requires We Recall That The Founders Knew How To F-ing Party - Above the Law

Justice Gorsuch argues that founding-era 'habitual drunkard' laws cannot justify modern firearm restrictions for drug users, citing evidence that Founders consumed far more alcohol than modern standards would classify as habitual use.
Intellectual property law
fromAbove the Law
4 weeks ago

The Heppner And Warner Rulings: Hobgoblin Consistency Or An Application Of Principle? - Above the Law

Warner v. Gilbarco and U.S. v. Heppner reach different conclusions on AI tool discoverability because Warner involved irrelevant materials and pro se representation, not because of conflicting privilege waiver standards.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Judge sides with salmon against Trump administration in hydropower ruling

At the center of the dispute are eight dams and reservoirs on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Pacific north-west that have created devastating obstacles for salmon and steelhead unable to breach their deadly turbines or navigate through the large, warm, artificial pools.
Environment
Poker
fromIntelligencer
1 month ago

Tom Goldstein Just Lost the Case of His Life

Supreme Court lawyer Tom Goldstein was convicted on 12 of 16 federal charges for tax and mortgage fraud related to hiding poker winnings from his wife, law firm, lenders, and the IRS.
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
2 weeks ago

The Supreme Court Just Heeded One of Ketanji Brown Jackson's Sharpest Dissents

The Supreme Court unanimously refused to immediately revoke Temporary Protected Status for over 350,000 immigrants from Haiti and Syria, instead allowing full judicial review while maintaining their legal protections.
Intellectual property law
fromPatently-O
1 month ago

Patently Unreasonable: Hyatt's Return to the Supreme Court and the Fight Over Prosecution Laches

Gilbert Hyatt petitions the Supreme Court to challenge the Federal Circuit's prosecution laches doctrine, arguing it conflicts with statutory patent timing provisions in the Patent Act.
Environment
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Oregon's Wildlife is at Risk. Increasing the State's Lodging Tax Could Help

Oregon's House Bill 4134 would increase the lodging tax from 1.5% to 2.75%, directing additional revenue to wildlife conservation for imperiled non-game species.
Law
frompatentlyo.com
3 weeks ago

Judge Newman Asks the Supreme Court to Intervene: Framing Judicial Independence as a Constitutional Imperative

Judge Pauline Newman, barred from judicial duties since 2023 without impeachment or disability finding, petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act's bar on reviewing judicial council orders.
Law
fromAbove the Law
3 weeks ago

'We Are Better Than This,' Say Ninth Circuit Judges Despite All Evidence To The Contrary - Above the Law

Judge Lawrence VanDyke of the Ninth Circuit has authored inflammatory and unprofessional dissents using crude language and personal attacks against colleagues, contradicting the ABA's initial assessment of his qualifications.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
3 weeks ago

Hegseth Comes for the Lawyers

Defense Secretary Hegseth fired top military lawyers and proposed restructuring the military's legal system to prioritize operational effectiveness over legal oversight constraints.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

Supreme Court appears split in tax foreclosure case

The Supreme Court examines whether counties must pay homeowners fair market value when seizing homes for unpaid property taxes, or only auction proceeds minus taxes owed.
Law
fromAbove the Law
3 weeks ago

DOJ Attorney Throws Himself Under The Bus Rather Than Dragging Down Everyone Else - Above the Law

Assistant US attorney Rudy Renfer resigned after filing court briefs containing AI-generated fabricated quotes and false citations, then making misleading statements about the errors to a judge.
fromBusiness Insider
4 weeks ago

12 perks of being a Supreme Court justice

After all, you get lifetime job security, great pay and benefits, thousands of dollars in gifts, entry into an elite club of fellow justices - oh, and the ability to shape the country as we know it.
US politics
Law
fromAbove the Law
3 weeks ago

SCOTUS Justices Air Internal Debate Over Shadow Docket At Public Event - Above the Law

Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh disagree on the Supreme Court's emergency docket, with Jackson criticizing its use to implement policies before legal challenges are resolved, while Kavanaugh defends it as a necessary structural feature of modern governance.
Online Community Development
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Dan Rayfield Joins Oregon ACLU Case Against Feds, False Spring is Over, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Has Died

Oregon Attorney General supports protesters' and journalists' lawsuit alleging DHS excessive force and seeks to maintain court limits on federal tear gas use.
fromAbove the Law
3 weeks ago

Morning Docket: 03.09.26 - Above the Law

After about-face on withdrawing lawsuits against law firms, Justice Department uncorks almost 100 pages of vitriol against federal judges for ruling against the administration generally.
Law
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

Does John Roberts Deserve More Credit Than We've Been Giving Him?

Supreme Court decisions merit serious consideration rather than dismissal, as judicial independence and lifetime tenure can produce consequential legal outcomes that shape policy and rights.
Portland food
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Good Morning, News: Cop Union Wants That Sweet Climate Money, ICE and DHS Loses Funding, and RIP to the King of Enchanted Forest

Portland Mercury requests reader support while reporting local news, featuring a Black History Month print issue, and covering a court challenge over PCEF funds.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

US judge expresses concern about government's role in Washington Post raid

A federal judge in Virginia on Friday declined to immediately rule on the Washington Post's request for the government to return devices seized from reporter Hannah Natanson in a January raid of her home. But the judge, William B. Porter of the eastern district of Virginia, acknowledged the enormity and significance of the seizure during the afternoon hearing. Ms Natanson has basically been deprived of her life's work, he said.
US news
Privacy professionals
fromUSA TODAY
2 months ago

How does video privacy law apply to modern era? Supreme Court to decide.

The Supreme Court will decide whether the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act covers sharing digital video-watching histories from free websites with platforms like Facebook.
San Francisco
fromStreetsblog
2 months ago

Two-Item Tuesday: Sunset Dunes Lawsuit Tossed - Streetsblog San Francisco

Court upheld Proposition K preserving Sunset Dunes and permanent Upper Great Highway closure; advocates oppose allowing developers to buy out tree replacement to protect canopy.
US politics
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Op-Ed | The Trump administration believes that it has the right to decide what the rule of law is | amNewYork

A federal judge invalidated the Trump administration's policy of deporting undocumented immigrants to third countries rather than their home countries, ruling it violates U.S. law protecting against torture and persecution.
Law
fromTruthout
1 month ago

Department of Justice Drops Defense of Trump's Orders Punishing Law Firms

The DOJ abandoned legal cases against law firms that resisted Trump's executive orders targeting firms representing Democrats, demonstrating that legal resistance to executive overreach can succeed.
Law
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

US DoJ drops legal case against law firms that stood up to Trump's executive orders

The Justice Department dropped legal proceedings against four law firms that resisted Trump's retaliatory executive actions targeting firms representing disfavored clients or causes.
US politics
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

DOJ Feels The Squeeze As DHS's Courtroom Pain Sponge - Above the Law

A federal judge threatened contempt charges against the US government three times for violating court orders regarding ICE's unlawful detention of long-term immigrants under a misinterpreted statute.
fromAxios
1 month ago

DOJ backs down in legal fight with law firms Trump targeted

Our partnership is proud to have stood firm on behalf of its clients. The DOJ's decision to withdraw its appeals makes permanent the rulings of four federal judges that the executive orders targeting law firms were unconstitutional.
Law
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

Federal Judges Threatened For Doing Their Jobs Speak Up - Above the Law

Federal judges face escalating violent threats and harassment for making constitutional rulings, including swatting attacks and assassination attempts, undermining judicial independence.
US politics
fromemptywheel
1 month ago

The Bullshit about John Roberts' Tolerance for Bullshit - emptywheel

The Supreme Court's tariff ruling prompted debate over judicial impartiality, with observers disagreeing on whether it demonstrates independence or reflects partisan patterns in decision-making.
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

Supreme Court ponders law making it a crime for gun owners to use marijuana

The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that because Hemani admitted to FBI agents that he used marijuana several times a week, he is a "persistent" drug user, thus rendering illegal the possession of the gun he bought legally and keeps securely in his home.
Law
US politics
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Judge Extends Temporary Restraining Order in Class-Action Suit Against DHS

Federal agents at Portland's ICE facility are barred from using tear gas, projectiles, or crowd-control munitions except when a target poses an imminent threat.
US politics
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

Trump Administration Learns To Its Dismay It 'Cannot Alter Substantive Rights' - Above the Law

A federal judge ruled ICE cannot re-detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia because the statutory 90-day removal period expired long ago, so detention authority has lapsed.
US politics
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Portland Protesters and Journalists are Suing Trump and the DHS. Oregon's Attorney General Just Stepped in to Help.

Oregon AG filed an amicus brief and sought a preliminary injunction to stop DHS from using tear gas on nonviolent protesters and journalists absent an imminent threat.
Law
fromThe New Yorker
2 months ago

Do Federal Officials Really Have "Absolute Immunity"?

Federal agents killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an immigration-enforcement operation in Minneapolis, triggering legal conflict over state ability to investigate or prosecute federal officials.
fromemptywheel
2 months ago

This Is Not A Constitutional Moment - emptywheel

This script is based on a theory proposed by Bruce Ackerman, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale Law School. Ackerman's idea is laid out in his 1991 book We The People: Foundations, and is discussed in the second of his Oliver Wendell Holmes Lectures of 2006. It's gained prominence since the 2024 election and the wholesale assault on our governmental system by Trump.
US politics
Law
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

You Can Say Whatever You Want When You're The Chief Justice - See Also - Above the Law

Roberts is accused of inventing a Paine legacy, Steven Banks is welcomed as corporate counsel, Biglaw recruiting is criticized, DOJ timing questioned, and Lowenstein wins.
US politics
fromThe Nation
2 months ago

Is It Possible for Speech to Ever Be Too Free?

Free speech empowers dissent and equality but can also inflict harm, spread disinformation, entrench power and privilege, and requires balancing individual liberty with collective protections.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

The Commons: How Originalism Killed the Constitution

Constitutional amendment process has been dormant but historically awakens during crises; worsening polarization and institutional rot make amendments necessary to repair democracy.
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

DOJ Attacks Judge, Claims Judicial Immunity For Itself - Above the Law

If you are a lawyer, are interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda, DM me. We need good prosecutors. And DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.- Chad Mizelle (@chad_mizelle) January 31, 2026
US politics
fromSlate Magazine
2 months ago

The Supreme Court Was Ripe for Another Ideological Food Fight. Then Something Else Happened.

But inside the courtroom, the argument barely touched speech or religion. Instead, the justices together gravitated toward something else entirely: a problem about time, causation, and whether constitutional authority can be temporally partitioned. Does the Constitution operate only forward? Can a law be unconstitutional tomorrow yet legally untouchable yesterday? And can a single conviction permanently close the courthouse doors to the people most harmed by an unconstitutional rule?
Law
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

Senior DOJ Official And Right-Wing Lawyer Get In Hilariously Bitchy Twitter Slapfight - Above the Law

The Court's patience is at an end,
US politics
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

DOJ Lawyer Delivers Moment Of Pure Honesty, Promptly Fired - See Generally - Above the Law

DOJ Lawyer Invites Judge To Hold Her In Contempt Just To Get Some Rest: Government attorney called out the challenges preventing her from complying with court orders and begs for rest. The DOJ immediately fired her.
Law
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

What Can the Multnomah County District Attorney Do to Stand Up to Trump?

Many Portlanders have asked that question since federal officials and agents have become increasingly hostile to immigrants or those they perceive to be immigrants, as well as people protesting President Trump's draconian immigration crackdown.
US politics
Law
from99% Invisible
2 months ago

Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak - 99% Invisible

Article III establishes the judicial branch and the Supreme Court; recent Court legacy and structural barriers make reform difficult and shape public perceptions.
US politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Judge temporarily halts ICE from using teargas and projectiles on protesters in Portland

A federal judge temporarily barred ICE officers from using teargas or projectiles against Portland protesters except when individuals pose an imminent threat of physical harm.
Law
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

Whole New Meaning To Judicial Restraint - See Generally - Above the Law

A Texas judge faces charges for handcuffing an attorney mid-hearing; coordinated efforts push to disbar Trump-era lawyers while litigation over demolished historic buildings continues.
fromEmptywheel
2 months ago

The Unstated Constitutional Problems With Obama "Using the 14th"

The Founders, in creating and nurturing our system of governance by and through the Constitution provided separate and distinct branches of government, the Legislative, Executive and Judicial and, further, provided for intentional, established and delineated checks and balances so that power was balanced and not able to be usurped by any one branch tyrannically against the interest of the citizenry.
US politics
fromemptywheel
2 months ago

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Told You So, Social Security Edition - emptywheel

SSA learned in November 2025 that the DOGE team accessed and shared Social Security data potentially outside policy, prompting DOJ notification in December 2025.
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