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
Pence: Kavanaugh Allegation Shows Democrats, Media ‘Getting Desperate’
Vice President Mike Pence dismissed the latest allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, calling it “discredited” and accusing liberals of “getting desperate.” “The Democrats and their allies in the media are obviously getting desperate,” Pence said Tuesday during a speech at The Heritage Foundation. “After dominating our courts for more than a generation, leading… -
news
Sen. Hawley Says Kavanaugh Impeachment Calls Show Democrats at War With Constitution
GOP Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley condemned fresh calls to impeach Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying Democrats have resorted to extreme resistance measures that are undermining constitutional government. Speaking to Hill.TV, Hawley connected the Kavanaugh impeachment push with the progressive campaign to pack the Supreme Court, accusing Democrats of subverting any institution they cannot control. “They want to… -
news
Judicial Confirmations Became Political Because Judges Became Political, Experts Say
The confirmation process for Supreme Court justices has deteriorated because the process has become about politics, legal experts say. “I think unfortunately we’ve reached a new low,” Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director for the Judicial Crisis Network, said Monday as part of a “Preserve the Constitution” panel discussion at The Heritage Foundation. Part… -
opinion
The Media Reboots Its Crusade Against Kavanaugh
One year ago, the media did the left’s dirty work in dragging Brett Kavanaugh’s reputation through the mud. Now, they’re back at it again. It wasn’t two weeks ago that Debra Katz, the attorney for Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford, got egg on her face for admitting that Ford’s allegations were motivated by a desire… -
news
Ocasio-Cortez Calls for Impeaching Kavanaugh, but Top House Democrat Says It’s Off the Table for Now
Rep. Alexandria Occasio-Cortez is calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and accusing him of lying under oath. “It is unsurprising that Kavanaugh, credibly accused of sexual assault, would lie under oath to secure a Supreme Court seat,” the Democrat congresswoman, who represents a New York district, tweeted Monday. “Sexual assault isn’t… -
news
Washington Post Passed on Thinly Sourced Kavanaugh Story Before New York Times Ran It
The Washington Post passed on a thinly sourced, unproven allegation about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh before The New York Times published it Sunday in a misleading article that has since been corrected. Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly left out exculpatory evidence in an article that said Kavanaugh had his pants down at… -
news
New York Times Corrects Kavanaugh Story After Omitting Relevant Facts
The New York Times published a correction late Sunday night after leaving out exculpatory evidence in a story about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s time as an undergraduate student at Yale University. Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly wrote an article in Sunday’s paper drawing from their new book, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh:… -
news
After Another Allegation in New York Times, Trump Urges Kavanaugh to Sue
President Donald Trump accused Democrats and members of the press of waging an influence campaign against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Sunday, after another allegation of sexual misconduct against the justice appeared in The New York Times. The president suggested that Kavanaugh bring civil suits for libel and decried “accusations without recrimination.” A Saturday story in… -
news
Florist Hopes Supreme Court Will Affirm Her Right to Turn Down Order for Gay Wedding
A Christian legal group that specializes in religious liberty has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider the case of a florist who declined to provide flower arrangements for a same-sex wedding. In June, the Washington state Supreme Court again ruled against Barronelle Stutzman, a businesswoman and great-grandmother who has said her faith did not allow… -
news
Democrat Senator Criticizes ‘Big Donor Takeover of the Federal Courts’
Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse defended a legal brief he filed with the Supreme Court which warned the justices that a ruling expanding gun rights could inflame the liberal push for court-packing. In a new opinion column in The Washington Post, Whitehouse accused “conservative media” of distorting his position, under a headline that styled the high… -
news
Lindsey Graham Urges Attorney General to Declassify 9 Categories of Information From FISA Abuse Probe
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is calling on Attorney General William Barr to declassify and publicize nine categories of information from the inspector general’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuse investigation. The documents, if released, would shed light on the FBI’s assessment of the Steele dossier, as well as information related to confidential human… -
news
This Nomination Is the Next Big Battleground for the Federal Courts
Steven Menashi’s nomination for the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is the latest touchstone in the judicial confirmation wars. Liberal commentators and activist groups are accusing Menashi of advancing extremist positions in the Trump administration and as an academic, while his conservative supporters say Democrats are warping his views. The 2nd Circuit is the… -
opinion
The Media’s Latest Smear of a Trump Judicial Nominee
Left-wing opponents of an impartial and independent judiciary have picked another target: appeals court nominee Steven Menashi. It’s one thing to be honest about a nominee’s record, but disagree about whether he belongs on the bench. The attacks begun on Menashi, however, amount to nothing more than dishonest smears. Menashi, whose Jewish family came to… -
opinion
The Senate Ups Judicial Confirmations Despite Democrats’ Obstruction
The Senate adjourned for the August recess last week, but not before confirming another 13 judges to the U.S. District Court. Now is a good time to evaluate what the Senate has accomplished with respect to President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. The Heritage Foundation’s Judicial Appointment Tracker shows some of the good news, as well… -
news
House Democrats Seek Kavanaugh Documents From Bush Years
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee asked the National Archives Tuesday to release documents from Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s service in the George W. Bush White House. The request tracks Democratic promises to scrutinize Kavanaugh even after his confirmation to the Supreme Court. “The Senate Judiciary Committee received only a small fraction of Justice Kavanaugh’s White House… -
opinion
When the Supreme Court Is Right to Overturn Precedent
Supreme Court justices need a healthy respect for past precedents. But sometimes, precedent is so bad it simply has to be overturned. The court did just that last month in the case of Knick v. Township of Scott. The court delivered a victory for champions of property rights by overturning a 1985 precedent that had… -
news
Fact Check: Does Trump Have the Most Successful Judicial Nomination Record Since George Washington?
President Donald Trump has had what many would consider a successful record on judicial appointments—and has repeatedly cast that success in historical terms. “We have many appeals court judges—many—that we’ll have appointed. The courts are a whole different thing,” Trump told a largely teenage audience gathered Tuesday in Washington, before giving them a quiz. “I… -
news
Judicial Watchdog Submits Congressional Ethics Complaint Against Rep. Omar for Potential Perjury, Fraud
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a complaint with the House of Representatives’ ethics office asking for an investigation into possible crimes committed by Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. The possible crimes include “perjury, immigration fraud, marriage fraud, state and federal tax fraud, and federal student loan fraud,” according to the complaint filed Tuesday by… -
opinion
The True, Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Kavanaugh Confirmation
Did the confirmation battle of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh help or hurt the #MeToo movement? How did the mainstream media miss so many red flags regarding his multiple accusers? And what was the horrific media storm like for the Kavanaugh family? Mollie Hemingway and Carrie Severino, authors of the best-selling new book “Justice on… -
news
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Dies at 99
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the war hero and Republican corporate lawyer who became the leader of the court’s liberal wing, died Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 99. The Supreme Court’s public information office said Stevens died from complications of a stroke suffered earlier in the day. “A son of…