No, and in fact, if Trump goes after Comey for dong that, Trump could get in deeper trouble. Here’s why: As the news broke, I was on the phone with Stephen Kohn, partner at a law firm focused on whistleblower protection. We’d been talking about where the boundaries lay for Comey in what he could and couldn’t do with the … Read More
Trump’s Tweets Today Are The Most Unhinged And SELF-Destructive (And It’s Only 10:00 AM)
God knows why they just don’t take his phone away. Or give him a fake phone with a fake Twitter account. This is how bad it has gotten: Trump’s own advisers have gone on television and stated that Trump’s tweets are not his policy. Well, who knows? How can we tell? Would Trump agree with that? Even this morning, Kellyanne … Read More
Trump Loses In Federal Court…. Again…. This Time on Sanctuary Cities
A federal district court ruling yesterday bars President Trump from withholding funds from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal agencies to deport undocumented immigrants, marking his second setback in court on immigration. The first setback, of course, was his Muslim ban. Before I get to the substance of this post, first things first: First the Ninth Circuit rules against … Read More
Twitter Pushes Back On Trump Administration
Twitter filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Customs and Border Protection today. Twitter seeks an injunction barring them from asking for the identity of the person behind @alt_uscis. It’s not clear what legal reason the Trump administration is seeking to identify @alt_uscis. The @alt_uscis bio states: “Immigration resistance . Team 2.0 1/2 Not … Read More
7th Circuit: LGBTQ Discrimination IS Sex Discrimination
It’s not definitive, but this is a huge step. The Seventh Circuit ruled 8-3 that a woman who was denied a job because she was a lesbian had a cause of action under Title VII. Title VII is the civil rights law which prevents workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion. It generally applies to … Read More
The HB2 Repeal: Is It As Bad As Everyone Says?
Well, I find myself in the awkward position of disagreeing with friends, colleagues, and organizations that I respect (like the ACLU, of which I have been an active member for 24 years). That’s not fun. The issue? House Bill 142. For those living under a rock, HB142 is the bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed into … Read More
Redstate’s Patterico’s Analysis of the 9th Circuit Decision Against Trump
Don’t normally quote from the conservative Redstate blog, and I rarely agree with Patterico (the author) on anything. But this analysis is so good — so spot on — that I am reprinting it in full: As you have no doubt heard, the Ninth Circuit today issued an opinion upholding the District Court’s TRO halting much of Trump’s order on … Read More
NC Legislature Still At It
Despite protests, widespread criticism and a threat by the governor-elect to challenge in court any moves that he believes would unconstitutionally limit his power, the Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature is pushing through reforms that would severely limit the incoming Democratic governor’s power. It’s insane. One such measure, which passed the House, was that the GOP and the Democratic Party would alternate the … Read More
Walter Scott Follow-Up
It has been a year and a half since Walter Scott’s death. I wrote about it here… but basically, he was running from a cop and was shot IN THE BACK As HE WAS RUNNING AWAY. The video makes this crystal clear: There’s even indication that the cop planted evidence on/near the body. Yes,. look at the video. So what … Read More
Judge Roy Moore Is Toast
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended from the bench for telling probate judges to defy federal orders regarding gay marriage. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary (COJ) issued the order Friday suspending Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term. “For these violations, Chief Justice Moore is hereby suspended from office without pay for the remainder … Read More
Breaking: Big Victory For Voter Rights — No Voter ID In Upcoming NC Elections
NC voter ID law will NOT be enforced in fall election after the U.S. Supreme Court denies stay request (in a 4-4 split — obviously, had Scalia lived, it would have been a loss for voting rights advocates, but he didn’t so……) The stay was a request by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and state officials to delay a permanent injunction blocking provisions in … Read More
Is This The End Of The Line For Judge Roy Moore?
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is set for a hearing at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 EST) today on charges he violated Alabama’s ethical standards for judges. Moore is asking the Alabama Court of the Judiciary to dismiss the ethics complaint filed by the state’s Judicial Inquiry Commission. The Judicial Inquiry Commission is asking for a summary judgment against Moore … Read More
Breaking: 4th Circuit Overturns Lower Court; Finds That GOP “Intentionally” Passed “Discriminatory” Voting Rights Law
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit invalidated North Carolina’s stringent new voting restrictions, holding that the law violates both the United States Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. The North Carolina measure, the Fourth Circuit held, has a discriminatory impact on black voters, impermissibly burdening their voting rights under the VRA. More boldly, the court also … Read More
Rape Survivor Jailed
Lovely: A bipolar rape survivor was jailed for nearly a month in Houston after she broke down while testifying against her rapist. In jail, she was allegedly abused and mistaken as a sex offender. Now she’s suing the prosecutor who sent her to jail, a jail guard who allegedly hit her, and others. The 25-year-old woman, known as Jane Doe, … Read More
Why I Don’t Have Much To Say About The Hillary Email Scandal
FBI Director James Comey gave a press conference yesterday morning that sent shock waves through the political establishment. The bottom line: Shock waves indeed, but when I looked around at the political landscape when it was over, I noticed that the pieces hadn’t moved. Hillary wasn’t indicted. That wasn’t news. She acted stupidly, carelessly. That wasn’t news either. That the … Read More