Articles Posted in Constitutional Law

Lawsuit Against Far Right Organizers Continues in Wake of Charlottesville Violence Updated: Published by:

Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the organizers of a 2017 white power rally in Charlottesville, Virginia are seeking to invoke a Civil War-era statute in utilizing the defendants' online statements to prove that they engaged in an illegal conspiracy to commit racially motivated violence. Defendants insist that their actions are…

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Schedules Rehearing En Banc in Trump Emoluments Lawsuit Updated: Published by:

On Tuesday, October 15, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered rehearing en banc in District of Columbia v. Donald J. Trump. The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia, alleges violations by President Donald J. Trump of the…

Detroit Police Commissioners Approve Use of Facial Recognition Technology Updated: Published by:

Detroit police plan to use facial recognition technology to help investigate allegations of home invasions and certain violent crimes, despite concerns over accuracy and fairness.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Rules Against Lawyer Challenging Mandatory Bar Association Dues in North Dakota Updated: Published by:

On Friday, August 30, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit rejected lawyer Arnold Fleck's challenge to the State Bar Association of North Dakota's collection of mandatory bar association dues. Fleck v. Wetch, No. 16-4564 (8th Cir. 2019), was remanded to the Eighth Circuit from the…

Federal Judge Upholds California Ban on Semiautomatic Rifles Updated: Published by:

Last week, a federal judge in Santa Ana, California ruled that the Second Amendment does not prevent California from enacting reasonable gun safety laws. This case arose when the California Rifle and Pistol Association, part of the National Rifle Association, challenged a state law that prevents California residents from making,…

Federal Appeals Court Dismisses Emoluments Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Profits from DC Hotel Updated: Published by:

On Wednesday, July 10, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit unanimously dismissed a lawsuit that claimed President Trump is violating the so-called Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution by accepting payments from state and foreign governments at his luxury hotel in downtown Washington. Brought…

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Holds President Donald J. Trump Violated First Amendment by Blocking Users From Accessing Twitter Account Updated: Published by:

On Tuesday, July 9, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that President Donald J. Trump engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment, by blocking certain users' access to his Twitter account based on those users' speech on Twitter. The Knight…