NEW: "Terror against noncitizens" ... "unlawful, wanton acts" ... "shameless" claims by the government A barnburner of a ruling on detaining immigrants without bond, and executive-branch defiance, from Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, C.D. Ca. Free gift link ... www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/u...

Chicago has a real “let’s wait to prosecute until these men are so old that they’ll die before they ever serve time” problem. See also, Madigan.

My alter ego, @meplusdog.bsky.social, is still vacationing on the isle of Elba. Here’s some reading about party presentation. (h/t to @ajrichar.bsky.social for bringing this to my attention and rescuing my seminar paper.) www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/part... www.scotusblog.com/2026/02/text...

While I wait for my personal account to wake up from its coma (God willing and the creek don’t rise), here’s the Office of Program Management’s new rule (Schedule Policy/Career) on tenure protection for federal employees. It’s a big honking rule (255 pages). Admin law lovers, have at it:

🚨DOJ Lawyer is Found in Contempt by Federal Judge 🚨 A long fuse on this one ... Boasberg, Xinis, Schiltz, and now Provinzino Free gift link ... www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...

And don’t forget “we will deport green card holders who criticized certain social media content” www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...

A federal prosecutor urged a jury to find prominent U.S. Supreme Court lawyer Tom Goldstein guilty of tax and financial crimes, as a lengthy trial wrapped up over Goldstein's accounting of millions of dollars he won and lost in his double life as a high-stakes poker player reut.rs/3OvaV6H

“Not all executive power rests with the President“ is … striking, considering that it is literally the theory of the unitary executive, that is the actual thing

Huge. (Docket: www.courtlistener.com/docket/65407...)

Full interview here:

Hakeem Jeffries suggests blue states could also redraw maps if SCOTUS guts the VRA: "[I]f, for whatever reason, they allow certain states in the Deep South to reopen the congressional map, that doesn't mean that every other state in other parts of the country ... can't do exactly the same thing."

In a 40-page opinion, Judge Cynthia M. Rufe even referenced the novel 1984 while faulting the administration for what she described as trying to blur and dismantle well-documented historical facts. Link to ruling: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Donald Trump's endorsement is no longer as valuable as it once was. Happy President's Day!

In case you didn't know, The Downballot has a rockin' Discord server that's a true haven for election nerds. If you're a paid subscriber, just click below! And if you're not a paid subscriber, it's tme to become one!

NEW: "The rule of law be damned." This opinion by Judge Fred Biery ordering the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos is one of the most incendiary judicial takes on the Trump administration I've seen. Read the full document and our story here: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...

Since there's some confusion, Jasmine Crockett reported raising about $3.3 million in 4Q. She raised $1.3 mil in her House account, then $2 mil in her Senate account. (She also transferred $4.5 mil from the former to the latter.) James Talarico previously said he raised $6.8 mil in 4Q. #TXSen

in honor of @linktothefiling.bsky.social : storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

If you are wondering why I was a little late on this — since, like, death penalty is my thing — I was walking from home to a coffee shop when it came down and I literally could not share any of the posts from others because not a single one that I saw included a link. DO BETTER, PEOPLE.

Thinking of you all during these wild times. Hang in there. ❤️ Link

The filings are bad, and have been for a while. Thanks for tuning in.

Fetching the docket entries is a billable transaction on PACER. My best guess is it’s blank because nobody has filled it. Second guess is that filing the case generates the header but documents don’t go in until after some cursory clerk review.

Empty docket. Interesting. They're also suing Kia and Toyota, so I assume they're consolidating suits? Somebody smart, enlighten us. www.courtlistener.com/docket/71953...

Link to the Filing loves both of these retail providers. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Another satisfied customer (pro bono)

Link to the Filing is happy to provide solutions on an as-needed basis.

Link to the Filing: gone but not forgotten. Every time they omit the link to a filing, I am there.

We may not have the biggest 2Q fundraising charts, and we may not have the best 2Q fundraising charts ... oh wait, yes we do. Ours are the biggest *and* the best! Check out The Downballot's comprehensive roundup of more than 660 House & Senate candidates right here →→→

🙄

Let’s not hold our breath for these filings.

catch it before they seal it www.courtlistener.com/docket/63410...

Docket: www.courtlistener.com/docket/70339...

Docket: www.courtlistener.com/docket/69595...

Link to the Filing is ~*seasonally employed*~ As such, you will see fewer Motions for Summer-y Judgments for the next eight weeks.