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
A New Way of Tracking Trump’s Judicial Nominees
Addressing a convention of labor commissioners in 1889, prominent government statistician Carroll D. Wright reminded his audience that “figures will not lie,” but warned that “liars will figure.” He urged them to “prevent the liar from figuring”—that is, from “perverting the truth, in the interest of some theory he is trying to establish.” To that… -
news
12 Potential Trump Nominees for Attorney General
Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned Wednesday, creating a vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and the opportunity to confirm a new leader at the Department of Justice. The question facing Trump is whom he might pick as the next attorney general. The Heritage Foundation’s John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government and… -
news
Democrats Protest Trump’s Naming Critic of Mueller Probe as Acting Attorney General
With Jeff Sessions’ resignation Wednesday as attorney general, Democrats immediately began attacking his interim replacement. President Donald Trump tapped Sessions’ chief of staff, Matt Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, to be acting attorney general. Sessions, a former Alabama senator and early Trump supporter who angered the president by recusing… -
news
Brett Kavanaugh Won’t Collect $600,000 GoFundMe Award Raised to Support Him
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will not accept a $600,000 award from a GoFundMe page established to support him as he faced allegations of sexual misconduct from several women. Conservative blogger John Hawkins, who launched the GoFundMe effort on Sept. 24, received a statement from former Kavanaugh law clerk Travis Lenkner indicating that the justice… -
news
Student Cancels Petition Seeking Removal of Clarence Thomas’ Name From Campus Building
An alumna of a Georgia college has canceled her petition demanding that the college remove Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ name from a campus building. More than 2,400 people had signed an online petition calling on the Savannah College of Art and Design to rename its Clarence Thomas Center for Historic Preservation. The petition webpage… -
opinion
Here Are 3 Cases to Watch at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is back in session after a two-week break. The justices will hear arguments in a number of important cases, including ones dealing with coercive class-action settlements, using hovercrafts for moose hunting in Alaska, and Virginia’s ban on uranium mining. Here are three cases to watch closely in the coming weeks. Frank v…. -
news
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls Congress the ‘Culprit’ in Polarizing Judicial Confirmation Process
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg points the finger at an increasingly partisan Congress for polarizing the judicial confirmation process. Speaking at the federal courthouse in Washington on Wednesday, Ginsburg said a lack of collegiality and bipartisanship among lawmakers was to blame for polarizing the confirmation process for federal judges, The Washington Post reported. Ginsburg… -
news
Judiciary Chairman Refers Avenatti and His Client to Justice Department Over Kavanaugh Claims
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has referred attorney Michael Avenatti and his client, Julie Swetnick, to the Justice Department and FBI for investigation into their claims about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “I am writing to refer Mr. Michael Avenatti and Ms. Julie Swetnick for investigation,” Grassley, an Iowa Republican, wrote in a letter to Attorney… -
opinion
Why Democratic Senators Won’t Succeed in Attempt to Block Judicial Nominee
Even with just two months left in this Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee is still holding hearings for judicial nominations. A hearing Wednesday will include Eric Miller, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, even though his home-state senators, Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington, oppose him. Murray and… -
news
Fellow Alumni Seek to Rescind Sen. Susan Collins’ Honorary Degree for Kavanaugh Vote
Hundreds of alumni and faculty are calling on a university to take back an honorary degree it gave to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in retaliation for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Graduates and professors of St. Lawrence University in New York published letters–addressed to the school’s president, board of trustees,… -
opinion
4 Scenarios for the Cases Kavanaugh Missed
Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in and joined the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, after the court had completed the first week of its 2018-2019 term. By that time, the court had already heard arguments in six cases with only eight justices. These cases dealt with age discrimination in employment, Congress delegating lawmaking authority to… -
news
Bakers Fined $135K Over Wedding Cake Appeal to Supreme Court
The former owners of an Oregon bakery, ordered to pay $135,000 in damages for declining to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, are appealing their case to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for Aaron and Melissa Klein filed a petition Monday asking the Supreme Court to reverse an earlier decision handed down by the state… -
news
The American Legion Is Asking Supreme Court to Protect Cross-Shaped War Memorial
The American Legion and a Maryland planning commission are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect a cross-shaped World War I memorial, after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the monument violates the Constitution. Supporters of the petition say the 4th Circuit’s decision compromises war memorials across the country, including those at Arlington National Cemetery…. -
opinion
The Daily Signal Podcast: Sen. Lindsey Graham Speaks Out on ‘Character Assassination’ of Kavanaugh
When things got ugly for Brett Kavanaugh, Lindsey Graham was one of his most forceful defenders. The South Carolina senator sat down to share his thinking with our editor-in-chief, Rob Bluey. The interview took place at President’s Club, an annual gathering hosted by The Heritage Foundation—we’ll play it for you in this episode. Plus: We’ll… -
opinion
How the Judicial Confirmation Process Got So Bad
The 50-48 Senate vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court was the closest confirmation since 1881, when Justice Stanley Matthews was approved by a vote of 24-23. President Donald Trump may well get another Supreme Court pick before he leaves office and, in the meantime, he can certainly expect aggressive opposition to… -
opinion
The Daily Signal Podcast: Jeff Sessions Discusses Direction of the Courts
Despite the rancor, President Donald Trump has been extremely effective at getting judges confirmed. Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh sit on the Supreme Court, and 29 of his nominees have been confirmed as circuit judges. In today’s episode, Rob Bluey sits down with Attorney General Jeff Sessions to discuss the direction of American courts. Plus:… -
news
McConnell, Graham Recount Highlights, Lowlights of Kavanaugh Fight
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was first elected in 1984, but says his biggest achievement to date is something that didn’t happen. “My decision not to fill the Supreme Court vacancy during the 2016 election was the most consequential decision I’ve ever made,” McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday night at The Heritage Foundation President’s Club meeting… -
news
Susan Rice’s Son Pursues Assault Charges in Incident at Pro-Kavanaugh Event at Stanford
The son of former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, a pro-Trump College Republicans leader, is pressing “full charges” against a fellow Stanford University student who he says assaulted him at an event supporting new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. John David Rice-Cameron, Rice's son and president of the Stanford College Republicans, alleges that fellow Stanford sophomore… -
news
Pro-Kavanaugh Group Airs ‘Thank You’ Ad for Sen. Susan Collins
A group that advocates more conservative judges on the nation’s courts has bought advertising to thank Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for her speech and vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Sources familiar with the Judicial Crisis Network’s six-figure ad buy said it consists of a single ad that began airing last week… -
opinion
We Hear You: Haley at the UN, Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, and ‘Gosnell’ at the Multiplex
Editor's note: Brett Kavanaugh's ascension to the Supreme Court drew much comment from our audience, but so did the unexpected news that Nikki Haley will leave her post at the United Nations (not to mention the "Gosnell" movie and the #WalkAway movement). Don't forget to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Sorry to…