A judge issued an order blocking Texas's 6-week abortion ban. It's not clear if/when providers will resume scheduling abortions, however — Texas is expected to appeal, and the law anticipates a situation like this and tries to preserve the legal risk buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
Just now, Texas has filed notice that it will appeal tonight's order temporarily halting the state's 6-week abortion ban. Up to the 5th Circuit, where Texas is likely to ask for an immediate stay of Pitman's injunction. buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
Here's AG Merrick Garland on the SB 8 prelim. injunction (which Texas is already in the process of appealing): "Today’s ruling enjoining the Texas law is a victory for women in Texas and for the rule of law." buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
This is one of those opinions where the judge does a lot of work in footnotes. In early sections, Pitman uses them to explain why people seek abortions, why "heartbeat" isn't accurate at 6 weeks, and how Texas made some errors in its handling of the case buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
Pitman writes that even though SB 8 is enforced via civil lawsuits filed by private citizens, he's not buying that Texas isn't in the driver's seat: "Indeed, the State has its prints all over the statute." buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
The White House weighs in on tonight's SB 8 ruling and notes that Biden supports codifying Roe v. Wade. Pitman in one section of his opinion pointed out that there is "remarkably little legislation" on the subject of federal abortion regs buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
That section reminded me of rulings we got re: Trump-era exec branch actions on immigration where judges kept noting that courts wouldn't have to keep getting involved if Congress would just do something about immigration
Interesting hearing this evening in Missouri’s lawsuit seeking to block DOJ from sending two election observers to monitor a St. Louis polling site on Election Day. No ruling from the bench (recap below)
Complaint: assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
DOJ oppo: assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
Missouri argues state law spells out who can enter a polling place to observe and DOJ monitors aren’t covered. DOJ says there’s a 2021 settlement with the St. Louis board of elections for ADA violations re: disability access that allows this
But Missouri AG says it appeared it was news to state officials that this agreement was in effect, and more broadly, that the board lacked authority to enter into the monitoring term in the first place. Which raises some Qs for the judge...
Hello on this stunning September morning from the DC federal courthouse, where Judge Tanya Chutkan is holding the first hearing in the Trump case since SCOTUS kicked it back to her. Trump won't be here. Waiting to see what kind of schedule Chutkan will set for the next round of fights over the future of the indictment bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Trump's lawyers all just entered the courtroom, and also thrilled to report that courthouse security dog Legend is here and continues to be a Very Good Dog (no pics allowed I'm afraid)
Hello from the DC federal courthouse, where Rudy Giuliani is waiting to get through security as jury selection is set to begin this a.m. to determine how much in damages he'll owe two Georgia election workers who sued him for defamation. Stay tuned.
And jury selection is just getting underway in Rudy Giuliani's damages trial -- Judge Beryl Howell, who was not amused that Giuliani was not in the courtroom at 9am when they were supposed to begin, is presiding
After a few hiccups related to the list of prospective jurors, *now* voir dire is officially underway in the defamation damages trial against Rudy Giuliani
BREAKING: A Colorado judge has ruled that Donald Trump can appear on 2024 ballots - she found that he *did* engage in insurrection by inciting the Jan. 6 attack, *but* that the Constitutional prohibition does not apply to the presidency. More to come. assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
NEW: A Colorado judge found Donald Trump engaged in insurrection by inciting the Jan. 6 attack.
But she held the Constitution's insurrectionist ban didn't apply to a president/the presidency, meaning he'll appear on 2024 ballots.
Lawyers for the Colorado voters who brought the insurrection disqualification case against Trump say they'll appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court. Whoever loses there can petition SCOTUS to intervene bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Today at 10am: Prosecutors will make their case before a DC federal judge for a partial gag order restricting what Donald Trump can say about the election obstruction case against him.
On how as long as Donald Trump is facing criminal charges and civil claims in court, what he says and does in the outside world can have consequences in a courtroom: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Chutkan begins by swiftly resolving an issue raised by the govt over how to handle a future defense survey of the potential jury pool in DC. Judge is okay with defense agreement to give advance notice, timing, sample size, doesn't see need to micromanage further at this point
Justice Clarence Thomas's 2022 financial disclosure is in, noting three trips w/ expenses paid for by Harlan Crow:
Thomas notes 2014 sale of properties to Crow (1st reported by ProPublica), saying he "inadvertently" didn't realize that should be reported assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
Justice Samuel Alito's 2022 disclosure is also out now:
No travel reported paid for by individuals, no note re: ProPublica reporting on earlier luxury trip reimbursed by GOP donor Paul Singer (Alito has publicly defended this/denounced the reporting)assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
Justice Clarence Thomas:
- reported three 2022 trips w/ expenses paid for by Harlan Crow
- said he "inadvertently" didn't realize he had to report 2014 property sales to Crow
- defended not reporting earlier "personal hospitality," private plane trips bloomberg.com/news/articles/…