Government Agencies Using Criminal Law for Self-Promotion
In a prior Foundry post, we highlighted the egregious misconduct of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Legal Enforcement in the prosecution… Read More
Do We Still Live in a Federal Republic?
The Center for Legal & Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation kicks off its “Preserve the Constitution” series on Friday, September 14, at 11:00 a.m…. Read More
Save the Whales NOAA
Nancy Black is a marine biologist who has dedicated her life to the preservation and study of whales. National Geographic and PBS have featured her… Read More
Gibson Guitar: Settling Away Bad Publicity
It’s another August in Washington. It’s hot and humid. Most people not already at the beach are indoors watching the Olympics or in the water… Read More
The SAFE DOSES Act: A Redundant Law and an Empty Gesture
The SAFE DOSES Act, which just passed the House, makes stealing medical equipment a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison and… Read More
When It Rains in Oregon, the State Owns the Raindrops
Who owns the rain? That sounds like a silly question, but the answer may surprise you. If you live in Oregon, Oregon does. So what… Read More
Operation Fast and Furious: The Buck Stops…Well…Somewhere Else
Senator Charles Grassley (R–IA) and Representative Darrell Issa (R–CA), the ranking members on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Chairman of the House Committee on… Read More
LawNews
International Religious Freedom Report: Time to Back Up Tough Talk with Tough Actions
Yesterday, the State Department issued its 2011 International Religious Freedom Report, which represents the culmination of an annual review the State Department must undertake pursuant… Read More
Senate Republicans Have Spoken: No Votes on Judges Until After the Election
On Monday night, Senate Democrats failed to reach 60 votes to cut off debate on the nomination of Robert E. Bacharach to the U.S. Court… Read More
Fair or Fowl? Big City Mayors Want You to “Eat Les Chikin”
Same-sex marriage is a hot-button issue that divides the country and arouses passions on both sides. Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, in a recent… Read More
Online Chat on Fast and Furious – LIVE NOW
Fast and Furious is a very serious scandal facing the Obama Administration and, more specifically, The Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder. Click here… Read More
How Many Ways Can You Spell “Fraud”?
The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2013, introduced in the Senate last month, would make it a felony to make false statements… Read More
New Regulations Equal New Crimes: Congress’s Overreliance on Criminal Statutes as Regulatory Tools
There is currently a bill before the Senate to establish a Concrete Masonry Products Board, the purpose of which is to “carry out a coordinated… Read More
Today at Noon: Fast and Furious and the Fight Over Executive Privilege
Join us at The Heritage Foundation Wednesday at noon or tune in online for a presentation by Katie Pavlich, Townhall editor and author of Fast and… Read More
Just What We Need: A Bureaucracy for Professional Boxing
A recent poll of American voters found that their top concern is the fair and accurate ranking of professional boxers. Not really, of course, but… Read More
Obama’s Gutting of Welfare Reform Is Illegal
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a General Counsel and legal staff to ensure that the agency’s actions are lawful. Did they… Read More
LawNews
Another Cry for Common Sense Immigration Enforcement
In an article in today’s Washington Examiner, senior political analyst Michael Barone argues that Monday’s Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. United States paves the… Read More
The Fashion Police – Literally
What if a person committed a crime simply by wearing the wrong outfit? What if that person were subject to a $2,000 fine, up to… Read More
Juvenile Life-Without-Parole: Constitutionality Depends on Sentencing Discretion
In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court today held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits sentencing schemes that result in mandatory life without the possibility of… Read More
Fast and Furious: Covering up the Death of a U.S. Agent
Todd Gaziano has outlined at the Foundry the legal doctrine of executive privilege that President Obama has asserted in the congressional investigation of Operation Fast… Read More
Obama’s Nixonian Contempt for Transparency
President Obama channeled his inner Richard Nixon with his exercise of executive privilege to shield Attorney General Eric Holder from transparency. Whether the assertion is… Read More
Justice Kennedy Issues Stay of Arizona Noncitizen Voting Case
On the heels of Florida filing suit against the Department of Homeland Security for trying to stop the state from removing noncitizens from its voting… Read More
The Battle for the American Conscience
More than 80 plaintiffs in 23 different lawsuits are now challenging the HHS mandate that will require many religious institutions to provide health insurance coverage… Read More
Should the Agriculture Committee Decide what we do in Afghanistan?
As part of an ongoing series, the Heritage Center for Legal and Judicial Studies periodically identifies a “Bill of the Week” that relates to the… Read More
LawNews
Maryland Court of Appeals to the Left of Liberal 9th Circuit
In a recent 5-2 decision, the Maryland Court of Appeals (Maryland’s highest court) ruled that the state’s 2008 DNA Collection Act was unconstitutional because collecting… Read More
The FOCUS Act Hearing: When Silence Is an Admission
The law sometimes reflects common sense. Consider this example: Innocent people don’t remain silent when accused of a crime or misconduct; they deny it. Accordingly,… Read More
North Carolina: Stuck in the Stone Age?
As swimsuit season approaches, millions of Americans are starting vigorous diet and exercise regimens to get in shape. Most people would love to get into… Read More
Members of Congress Work to Rein In Overcriminalization in America
What do a legendary guitar maker and a lobster importer have in common? Both are alleged to have run afoul of the Lacey Act, one… Read More
U.S. v. Heicklen: The Nullification of Free Speech
Prosecution for exercising one’s free speech rights is becoming a trend in the current Administration and the Department of Justice (DOJ). In April, the Legal… Read More
Judicial Mischief in Wisconsin Surrounds Effort to Recall Gov. Walker
The political battle over Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) recall is heating up. Four Democrats have filed paperwork to appear on the ballot opposite Walker,… Read More
