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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opinion
Law and Order Works: Crime Plummets in Washington After Trump Takes Action
For too long, the crime problems festering in Washington have been a national embarrassment. Thanks to President Donald Trump, that shame is lifting as crime rates plummet in the District of Columbia to levels unthinkable just a few years ago. All it took was a different attitude and a little action. Trump announced in August,… -
opinion
What if You Were a Justice on Virginia’s Supreme Court?
On April 26, the Virginia Supreme Court will take up the appeal of two rulings made in Tazewell district court that found procedural laws were broken — or were going to force registrars to break laws — on how elections in Virginia are administered, and how the state constitution can be suspended in order to… -
news
Can Colorado Exclude Catholics From ‘Universal’ Preschool Program? Supreme Court Weighs In
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Catholic schools that have been excluded from Colorado’s Universal Preschool program due to their traditional stance on LGBTQ+ issues. In St. Mary’s Catholic Parish v. Roy, two Catholic parishes, two Catholic parents, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver sued Lisa Roy, executive director of the… -
opinion
How Will SCOTUS Respond to NJ Tightening Its Hold on Nonprofits?
Imagine dedicating your life to serving vulnerable pregnant and parenting women in your community. Imagine rallying friends and neighbors to join in your mission to offer them critically needed resources and support. Imagine watching the news about the more than 95 charities just like yours that were attacked and vandalized. But you serve anyway. You keep going… -
news
Judge Blocked Conservatives From Discovery, Then Dismissed the Case for Lack of Evidence
A district court judge repeatedly shielded the Southern Poverty Law Center from scrutiny during a defamation case and then dismissed a conservative group’s case because it “lacked evidence,” according to the conservative group’s attorneys. Attorneys for the estate of Donald A. King and his organization, the Dustin Inman Society, filed an 81-page brief Thursday asking… -
opinion
New York Refuses ICE Detainer for Illegal Alien Accused of Killing 4 in Arson
New York is so committed to nullifying immigration law that it refuses to relinquish an alleged arsonist accused of killing four people in New York City. That was reported by the New York Post and Fox News on Thursday. According to those reports, Roman Ceron Amatitla—who is a Mexican national illegally living in the U.S.—is… -
news
This Senator Penned First Draft of Trump’s Federal AI Guidebook
Sen. Marsha Blackburn wants her vision for the future of American artificial intelligence, with strict child safeguards, to prevail over a tech accelerationist push that overrides state regulations while including only minimal safeguards. The Tennessee Republican’s bill differs in key aspects from the White House National Framework on AI, but she believes it will fulfill… -
opinion
Climate Lawfare Suffers Major Defeat at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously struck down a bizarre effort at climate lawfare, which aimed to penalize Chevron for its role in boosting the U.S. war effort against the Nazis and Imperial Japan in World War II. The ruling is good news for sanity, but it also sets an important precedent for the Left’s… -
opinion
Rachael Rollins’ Return: A Warning for Boston and American Justice
The news that Rachael Rollins has filed to run for Suffolk County district attorney again should send chills down the spine of anyone concerned with the safety, integrity, and future of Boston’s communities. Rollins’ tenure as district attorney was marked not by justice, but by a radical prosecutorial philosophy that prioritized ideology over public safety,… -
news
BREAKING: Former Dem Lt. Gov. Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide, Police Confirm
Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, confirmed Thursday that they found former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax dead in his home in an apparent murder-suicide. “I’m here to confirm the identity of our shooter in this murder-suicide that happened several hours ago as former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a… -
news
Pirro Prosecutors Turned Away From Fed Headquarters
Federal prosecutors appeared Tuesday at the construction site for the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, D.C., but were denied entry, The Wall Street Journal reported. The visit appears to be related to an investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the multi-year, $2.5 billion construction project. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. opened the investigation… -
news
Code Pink Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for 3 Key Reasons, Watchdog Group Tells IRS
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The leftist activist group Code Pink should lose its tax-exempt status for engaging in potentially illegal activity, violating tax rules against engaging in prohibited political activity and excess lobbying activity, and for supporting the interests of China without properly registering with the Department of Justice, a conservative group said in a… -
news
Trump Scores Win Over Boasberg in Deportation Case
The Trump administration won a court victory in an immigration case Tuesday when an appeals court found U.S. District Judge James Boasberg engaged in a “clear abuse of discretion” last year. The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit comes more than a year after Boasberg first held… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: House Investigates Colorado Rule Coercing Lawyers to Block Immigration Enforcement
The House Judiciary Committee is investigating why Colorado lawyers who want to file a case online must abide by the state’s sanctuary law or face perjury charges. In a letter on Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: More Texas Lawmakers Call for Stronger Protections Against AI
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A bipartisan group of more than 60 Texas state representatives wrote a letter to the state’s U.S. senators asking them for stronger child protections online. A total of 64 state House members, led by Rep. Shelby Slawson, a Republican, are joining their state Senate colleagues in urging U.S. Sens. John Cornyn… -
opinion
The Case for Resolving Birthright Citizenship in Trump’s Favor
During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to “end birthright citizenship” for children born in the U.S. to noncitizen parents. After winning by an electoral landslide, on Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued his executive order to fulfill that promise. The American Civil Liberties Union promptly filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order. That… -
opinion
Despicable: Judge Declares Accused Killer ‘Incapable’ Despite Decades of Crimes
Another day, another example of how the Left’s view of justice is toxic to a free society. A state court on Tuesday pronounced DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a random knife attack on a North Carolina train, “incapable to proceed” until a psychiatric evaluation is complete. From my… -
opinion
State Lawmakers Nationwide Erect Firewalls Against Sharia Law
A quiet surge is reshaping American courts in states such as Georgia and Missouri to prevent the encroach of Sharia law. State legislators are advancing “American Laws for American Courts” (ALAC) and related measures. These laws attempt to keep the U.S. and state constitutions as the sole legal authorities. The message to Americans is clear:… -
news
As States Hint Resistance to SCOTUS Ruling on Gender Counseling, What’s Next for Free Speech?
Even after a decisive Supreme Court ruling on free speech in gender counseling, more such cases could be on the way as state and local governments across the country have bans of some sort on reparative therapy. The Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 against Colorado’s law that required counseling to conform to gender ideology. Some… -
news
Supreme Court Clears Way for Dismissal of Case Against Trump Ally Steve Bannon
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for the Justice Department to move forward with dismissing a criminal case in which Steve Bannon, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was convicted after defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon was convicted by a jury in Washington in 2022 on two counts…