Dec 22, 2024
Sign at a protest reading "END POLICE BRUTALITY" with participants in the background.
Immunity Overturned for Indicted Sheriff Deputies

Georgia’s Supreme Court recently overturned immunity granted to three former sheriff’s deputies indicted for Eurie Lee Martin’s murder. The court’s unanimous decision will see the former deputies tried in Washington County for Martin’s murder and other charges. In a story that has become too familiar, three white law enforcement officers... Read More »

Logo icons of Twitter, Google, and Facebook on a smartphone screen, with the text "BIG TECH" above.
Section 230 Brings Social Media CEOs Back to the Senate

Jack Dorsey, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEOs of Twitter, Google, and Facebook, respectively, appeared before the Senate on October 28. The hearing was called to examine the consequences of Big Tech’s “immunity” under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). Section 230 gives platforms like Twitter, Google,... Read More »

A close-up image of a person holding a handgun in a holster, resting on their hip. The background is blurred, focusing on the firearm.
Open Firearm Carry at Michigan Polling Places 2020

On October 16, 2020, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ordered that all open-carry firearms were to be prohibited at polling places across the state. The action led an alliance of gun-rights groups to file suit and request a preliminary injunction against the order on October 22. Oral arguments were... Read More »

A close-up of a smartphone screen displaying a Facebook post by Donald J. Trump discussing concerns about mail-in voting and election integrity.
Pennsylvania Mail-In Voting Reaches U.S. Supreme Court

The voting case Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar technically should have ended in Pennsylvania with the state supreme court’s decision. The highest authority on a state’s laws is that state’s judiciary—not the federal one. Justice Samuel Alito describes the petitioning of this state-decided matter to the U.S. Supreme Court... Read More »

University of San Diego campus building with outdoor seating area.
The University of San Diego Joins the Pandemic Legal Battle Arena

In a time when seeking a college degree equates to willfully taking on long-term debt, the merits of formal education had already come into question before the pandemic. Recently, in the light of COVID-19 shutdowns, the U.S. university system has evoked more than the usual begrudging frustration from paying student... Read More »

Text message alert about the extension of Michigan's Stay Home Stay Safe order due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Restrictions in Michigan Deemed Unconstitutional

The Michigan Supreme Court recently ruled that Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders regarding COVID-19 restrictions are unconstitutional. They said that she is not allowed to add or extend restrictions after April 30. Whitmer had said that the state needed more time in order to "allow for an orderly transition during... Read More »

Sign promoting participation in the 2020 U.S. Census, encouraging people to be counted.
Supreme Court Census Decision Leaves Communities Uncounted

Once every decade, the U.S. is bombarded by the pleasantly passive marketing of the census. Ad campaigns gently inform residents of the census’s significance, matter-of-factly highlighting voter representation and the values of civic duty. The 2020 census, however, has joined the ranks of other once-unshakeable institutions now eyed by the... Read More »

A smiling woman with braided hair sits at a desk with a laptop, wearing a yellow blazer, in a bright office setting.
Hair Discrimination Pivots from the Courts to Congress

Instances of race-based hair discrimination are not uncommon. Chastity Jones is part of a long list of roadblocked cases alleging race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. However, as court decisions and Congress appear optimistically receptive to change, cases like hers may now receive a national legal reckoning. Jones was... Read More »

Judge Amy Coney Barrett standing in front of an American flag.
The Election: Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Considering Recusal

Senate judiciary meetings for President Donald Trump’s newest nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, have concluded, with a committee vote set for October 22. The proximity of her potential confirmation to the upcoming election sparked immediate controversy, including several calls for Barrett to recuse herself from... Read More »

Protesters holding signs advocating for the Electoral College and urging people to vote their conscience.
Electoral College Overview

The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. There were some who thought that Congress should elect the President. Others thought that it should be left up to a popular vote. The Electoral College was a compromise. The Electoral College is a group... Read More »