Legal News
Reports on lawmaking, constitutional issues, and court cases. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary and legal analysis.
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news
Supreme Court Determines ExxonMobil Can Sue Communist Cuba for Confiscated Property
In a case involving oil giant ExxonMobil, the Supreme Court held that a federal law granting the right to sue a foreign country over confiscated property overrides sovereign immunity. The court ruled 6-3, splitting along ideological lines. Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion. ExxonMobil is seeking more than $1 billion in compensation for oil… -
news
Judge Who Donated to Immigrant Legal Aid Group Blocks DOJ Immigration Probe of Walz, Ellison
A federal judge in Minnesota, who has donated to an immigrant legal aid group, quashed several federal grand jury subpoenas of documents from Gov. Tim Walz and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul over compliance with immigration enforcement. In a 29-page opinion issued Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz of the District of… -
news
Taxpayer Dollars Backed Parts of Coalition Suing Over Trump Immigration Enforcement
A coalition of litigation groups, at least two of which have been backed by taxpayer dollars, is targeting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in court. The two leading organizations are Democracy Forward, chaired by Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, and UnidosUS, a Hispanic left-of-center group that has reportedly received millions in government funding in previous years…. -
news
Florida Concealed Carry Law Violates Second Amendment, Court Rules
A Florida law disqualifying 18- to 20-year-olds from legal concealed carry violated the Second Amendment, a Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday. “Eighteen- to 20-year-olds can defend the country without restriction but can only utilize their Second Amendment right to self-defense with severe restrictions,” the three-judge panel stated in its opinion. Police arrested 18-year-old Jaylen Tyrus… -
news
Supreme Court Makes Major 9-0 Ruling on Second Amendment and Drug Offenders
The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a drug user could not lose his Second Amendment rights, in a case that put the ACLU and the National Rifle Association on the same side. The court held that a federal law that automatically disarms someone who unlawfully uses a controlled substance is unconstitutional. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the… -
analysis
Ohio Group Demands Action on Mail-Order Abortion Pills: ‘This Is About Law and Order’
As scrutiny surrounds the abortion pill, the Center for Christian Virtue is calling on U.S. attorneys in Ohio to use federal law to take action against mail-order distribution. Aaron Baer, president of the organization, cited the Comstock Act in his letters to Dominick Gerace, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and David Toepfer,… -
news
Link to Fani Willis Leads to Federal Judge Recusal in Georgia Voter Rolls Case
A federal judge who attended a political event of a prosecutor who once pursued charges against then-former President Donald Trump recused herself from a case in which the Justice Department is seeking Georgia voter registration data. U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia granted the Justice Department’s motion to step aside… -
news
Judge Denies Motion to Compel Abigail Spanberger to Testify in Defamation Case
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA—A Richmond judge denied two motions against the Democrat Party of Virginia and Gov. Abigail Spanberger Monday in a defamation case, and the plaintiff told the Daily Signal that he plans to appeal the decisions. “I will be appealing these decisions,” Thomas Speciale, a retired Army intelligence officer and a former Republican U.S. Senate… -
Why Justice Alito Dissented From the Supreme Court’s Rejection of Pro-Life Student’s Free Speech Lawsuit
The Supreme Court declined to take up a pro-life student’s lawsuit Monday after her school refused to let her post flyers with photos of signs reading “Defund Planned Parenthood,” but Justice Samuel Alito dissented. Alito, an appointee of President George W. Bush, argued that the case represented an important opportunity to clarify the rules on… -
news
Supreme Court Rebuffs Challenge to New York Law Allowing Suits Against Gun Industry
June 15 (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court turned away on Monday a gun industry challenge to a New York law that permits lawsuits against gunmakers, wholesalers, and dealers for endangering people’s safety through sales of firearms and ammunition. The justices declined to hear an appeal by an industry trade group, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, of… -
analysis
Not Just California: Where Vote Counts Drag on Beyond Election Day and Why SCOTUS Could End It
California is not the only state with trouble counting votes on time. On Friday, New Jersey finished counting in the state’s 9th Congressional District Republican primary, and Clifton City Councilwoman Rosie Pino defeated Tiffany Burress to advance to a November faceoff against Democrat incumbent Rep. Nellie Pou, The Associated Press reported. While California received national… -
Federal Loophole Allows for Election Day Shortcut in Minnesota—but Legal Challenge Could Be Coming
A government watchdog group is threatening Minnesota with a lawsuit over its practice of allowing registered voters to “vouch” for potential voters who cannot provide proof of residency. Minnesota allows voters to register on Election Day and forgo proof of residency if another registered voter will affirm their eligibility to vote at a polling place…. -
news
DOJ Defends Election Fraud Probes in California as Legal Battle Over Voter Rolls Intensifies
The Justice Department defended its authority to ensure “fair” elections in California after it launched multiple election fraud investigations coupled with litigation over voter registration. California has long been known for liberal practices such as ballot harvesting, with a universal mail-in voting system that allows ballots to arrive a week after Election Day, and no… -
opinion
SHOT TO THE HEART OF DEI: How the Trump Admin Is Dismantling the Legal Basis for Government-Endorsed Discrimination
The Department of Justice under President Donald Trump just took a pivotal step toward removing government-endorsed discrimination from America’s legal system and undermining the institutional apparatus of critical race theory. Critical race theory teaches that America is systemically racist and that even racially neutral policies are truly racist if they result in better outcomes for… -
news
US Attorney Pirro Opening Probe of ‘Debanking’ by America’s Biggest Financial Institutions
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro of the District of Columbia launched an investigation into alleged politicized “debanking” of conservative and other disfavored groups by the nation’s largest banks, The Wall Street Journal reported. Among the banks being scrutinized are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, the Journal reported. In August, President Donald Trump signed… -
analysis
‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: Ohio Reveals the Depth of America’s Fraud Crisis
Minnesota’s welfare schemes exposed the scale of taxpayer fraud, California’s hospice scandal showed the problem was not isolated, and now Ohio’s Medicaid problem reveals how deep fraud may run. During my appearance Monday on Fox News with Jon Scott, I argued that the fraud uncovered so far in several states is only the tip of… -
news
What to Know About the Obama-Appointed Judge Who Struck Down Trump’s H-1B Visa Policy
An Obama-appointed judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration policy requiring a $100,000 fee from employers that seek H‑1B visas, or visas for skilled foreign workers. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a 42-page opinion, stating that the fee is an unlawful tax as… -
news
Obama-Appointed Judge With Deep Democrat Ties Overturns Trump Immigration Rules
A federal judge who had previously made about $500,000 in campaign contributions to Democrats vacated Trump administration immigration policies that halted asylum processing and froze immigration benefits based on nationality. The judge, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the District of Rhode Island, is a Barack Obama appointee. The case was based on… -
news
John Bolton Expected to Plead Guilty in Classified Documents Case
John Bolton, who served in high-ranking national security and diplomatic positions under both Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush, is expected to plead guilty on federal charges of retaining classified information, according to reports. CNN first reported that Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, would plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of… -
news
SCOTUS Delivers 8-1 Blow to AT&T, Verizon in $100M FCC Case
The Supreme Court on Thursday sided 8-1 with the Federal Communications Commission against two telecom giants over a combined $100 million in fines. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. The lone dissenter was Justice Clarence Thomas. Telecom companies AT&T and Verizon claimed the FCC violated their rights to a jury trial by issuing…