Tomorrow at 9am ET, @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @atabatabai.bsky.social, Troy Edwards, and @sranderson.bsky.social will discuss the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran's response, and what may happen next. Subscribe to receive an alert when the live starts:

from 2023, but evergreen ...

WOW. 19 people, all who were imprisoned and mistreated in a foreign prison at the direct command of the United States, are brave enough to say “We are innocent, and we will endure more time imprisoned to prove that.” I can only admire the enormous courage such a move takes.

Their willingness to do this suggests to me that they think the govt's evidence that they are, in fact, members of Tren de Aragua is weak.

Incredible. 19 of the 137 Venezuelans whom Trump sent to CECOT under the Alien Enemies Act, & who were swapped back to VZ & then escaped to 3d countries, seek to come back to the US to contest their Tren de Aragua designation—knowing they'll be detained (& God knows what else) by the Trump Admin.

On Lawfare Daily, @kovarsky.bsky.social joined @rparloff.bsky.social to discuss patronage pardons–pardons a president issues to reward and possibly even induce criminality by political supporters–and ponders whether anything can be done to rein them in. youtu.be/ShnM_n7bEdc

I got to talk with @lawfaremedia.org and @rparloff.bsky.social about the subject of my article, Patronage Pardons (Duke LJ), which explains how Trump uses pardons to power a loyalty for protection racket. Podcast: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lawf... Article: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Prof @kovarsky.bsky.social spoke to me this week about "Patronage Pardons," his upcoming Duke Law Journal article. Those are pardons that reward or even incite criminality by a president's political supporters. Thanks, Lee! The video version is here and ... 1/3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShnM...

Progress, of a sort: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/u...

From @charliesavage.bsky.social : Hints that Chief Judge Altonaga may have blocked Fort Pearce grand jury, overseen by Judge Cannon, from pursuing US Atty Jason Reding-Quinones's "grand conspiracy" probe. But not clear, & Miami grand jury proceeds. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/u...

After MN's US Atty Rosen attacked the accuracy of his figures, Chief Judge Schiltz double-checked his list of 96 violations of court orders in 74 cases in MN for January. The recount showed 97 violations in 66 cases. But there’s more ... 1/4

After MN's US Atty Rosen attacked the accuracy of his figures, Chief Judge Schiltz double-checked his list of 96 violations of court orders in 74 cases in MN for January. The recount showed 97 violations in 66 cases. But there’s more ... 1/4

In addition to reviewing his prior cited cases, Schiltz presents more than 100 additional instances of noncompliance. Order: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

BREAKING: Judge Patrick Schiltz in Minnesota threatens criminal contempt, if necessary, to address ICE noncompliance in an order calling out U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen's response to Schiltz's earlier questions about noncompliance with court orders. "ICE will comply with this Court's orders."

Judge Bryan issues order to show cause why respondents should not be held in civil or *criminal* contempt for violating orders in these 28 cases. Wants US Atty Dan Rosen before him person on Tuesday.

UPDATE: Judge Royce Lamberth has set a hearing on this motion — alleging violations of his Feb. 19 court order — for 2:30 p.m. today.

As others have reported, US Atty Daniel Rosen in MN has appealed the civil contempt fine against the special assistant US atty in his office, even though the fine was purged before the SAUSA ever had to pay it. Which raises a question in my mind. ... 1/ 2 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Magistrate Judge Porter’s ruling yesterday in the @hannahnatanson.bsky.social /@washingtonpost.com search case was not surprising, but is worth reading. The factual backdrop, and MJ Porter’s multiple interactions with DOJ, are quite interesting. ... 1/9 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

In the DVD case, Judge Murphy finds that DHS's policies for sending aliens to third countries is "unlawful." Must 1st try alien's "designated" country & give meaningful notice. Grants class relief. But stays order for 15 days to allow appeal. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Theory would be that a US Atty appointed by the court under 28 USC 546(d) can only be removed by the court--not POTUS or (D)AG. Would test DAG Blanche's tweet-firings.

News: DOJ's war with judges on US attorney picks heads to Seattle, where an all Biden-selected trial court will soon appoint a chief prosecutor. Lawyers are strategizing on tapping someone who'd be ready to litigate a surefire Trump termination. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Reminder: For 313 days, three Trump-appointed judges have stopped Judge Boasberg from probing possible criminal contempt of his turn-the-planes-around order of last March—conduct implicating, among others, Secy Noem, Judge Bove, DAG Blanche, and, maybe, higher officials.

This is from Fulton Co's reply brief regarding the search. In last week's Lawfare Live, colleague @annabower.bsky.social alluded to these exact ellipses in the govt's purported precedent for its claim that it didn't have to show probable cause of "willfulness"—the defining element of both crimes.

NEW: Remember when the government rounded up dozens of unaccompanied children in the middle of the night and tried to summarily deport them? A Trump-appointed judge entered an injunction barring their removal. But lawyers for the children say the government is trying to circumvent that order.

Reminder: For 313 days, three Trump-appointed judges have stopped Judge Boasberg from probing possible criminal contempt of his turn-the-planes-around order of last March—conduct implicating, among others, Secy Noem, Judge Bove, DAG Blanche, and, maybe, higher officials.

Notable development in Fulton County's motion for return of election materials seized by FBI: The clerk of court, Che Alexander, seeks to join the case. DOJ previously argued that the Fulton Board of Elections does not have standing bc the clerk had custody of the ballots.

Lessons from the MN civil contempt case, by me: Petitioner’s atty: “I understand that the caseload has affected all parties astronomically, and we are all human. But my client is, too. . . . All the people behind these petitions are humans.” www.lawfaremedia.org/article/less...

"Morale is one of the issues that has caused us difficulty, frankly, in getting additional help. And it has caused us to lose some of the help that we have had." The capacity to govern is breaking down, and that's a huge problem for everyone.

Lessons from the MN civil contempt case, by me: Petitioner’s atty: “I understand that the caseload has affected all parties astronomically, and we are all human. But my client is, too. . . . All the people behind these petitions are humans.” www.lawfaremedia.org/article/less...

A close look at the MN civil contempt case, by me: Judge Provinzino: “[T]he government's understaffing and high caseload is a problem of its own making and absolutely does not justify flagrant disobedience of court orders.” www.lawfaremedia.org/article/less...

The appeal of Judge Cannon’s order, barring release of Jack Smith's Vol 2, will be messy. Last December, Cannon denied 2 advocacy grps—@weareoversight.bsky.social & @knightcolumbia.org—the right to participate in the case. They appealed to the 11th Cir, with argument set for 6/22/26. ... 1/3

Catch & Kill: Judge Cannon bars release of Jack Smith's Volume II report about the classified docs case. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

has anyone acknowledged this was them yet?

If you read the thread below—and I hope you will—please also bear in mind the inane, knee-jerk, judge-trashing comment that the US Atty for the District of Minnesota gave the @nytimes.com when it sought comment on the utter breakdown taking place in his office.

In remarkable 9-page order, Judge Provinzino lifts civil contempt order on AUSA in MN after govt finally complies with her order, but says fact that AUSAs lack "basic resources" & "training" can no longer excuse wrongs to detainees. ... /1 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

👀The federal judges in West Virginia, where ICE has been pulling over and detaining people on the freeway, are literally screaming about ICE's tactics. "It is an assault on the constitutional order," Judge Goodwin says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

If you read the thread below—and I hope you will—please also bear in mind the inane, knee-jerk, judge-trashing comment that the US Atty for the District of Minnesota gave the @nytimes.com when it sought comment on the utter breakdown taking place in his office.

In remarkable 9-page order, Judge Provinzino lifts civil contempt order on AUSA in MN after govt finally complies with her order, but says fact that AUSAs lack "basic resources" & "training" can no longer excuse wrongs to detainees. ... /1 storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

from Hannah Rabinowitz at @cnn.com :

Here is DOJ's list of 52 violations of court orders in District of NJ in the last 3 months (since 12/5/25). DOJ emphasizes there were 547 cases. Includes 17 detainees transferred out of NJ and one removed from the country in violation of court orders. www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...

Extremely interesting.

Judge Rufe says govt has failed to comply with her 2/16 order to restore *forthwith* the slavery exhibits to the [George Washington] President's House in Philadelphia. Orders them restored by 5pm Friday. (Govt has appealed, but has not yet moved for a stay.)

Yesterday the 2d Cir allowed 6,100 Syrians to keep their temporary protected status (TPS) pending appeal of order of a a district judge, who'd blocked Kristi Noem's attempt to end it. Could help 350K Haitians in same situation now before DC Circuit. However ... www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...

More weirdness. Just days before USAtty Pirro tried & failed to indict 6 congress members for the don't-follow-illegal-orders video, one's atty, @preetbharara.bsky.social asked prosecutors what the charge was. They wouldn't say. Per @gregsargent.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2066...

The Fulton Co elections expert shows, again & again, that the FBI agent put allegations into the search warrant affidavit & then failed to disclose investigators’ definitive refutations of them. The only bad intent one can infer is on the part of the FBI agent & any supervising prosecutor(s).

Fulton Co elections expert: “In all 5 areas identified by ... the [search warrant] affidavit, there are a multitude of false or misleading statements or omissions. ... Once ... corrected, the affidavit loses any basis in reality.” storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Fulton Co elections expert: “In all 5 areas identified by ... the [search warrant] affidavit, there are a multitude of false or misleading statements or omissions. ... Once ... corrected, the affidavit loses any basis in reality.” storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Fulton Co's amended petition for return of seized voting records: "First, the Fourth Amendment requires 'probable cause,' not 'possible cause.'" storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Noem's mouthpiece to leave next week. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

On today's Lawfare Daily @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, @annabower.bsky.social, @rparloff.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, Troy Edwards, and Peyton Baker discussed courts finding various U.S. attorneys to be unlawfully appointed, the arraignment of Don Lemon in Minnesota, and more.