The cost of taking dangerous criminals off the street should be borne by everyone, not by a single, innocent, unlucky small business owner.
Learn more about Carlos's #SCOTUS petition here:
Carlos Pena spent 30 years building his business.
It took minutes for an L.A. SWAT team to destroy it.
Now they refuse to pay damages estimated at tens of thousands of dollars.
With IJ's help, Carlos is asking the #SupremeCourt to hear his case.
Policing for Profit: $82 Billion Taken Since 2000
Learn more here: https://ij.org/report/policing-for-profit-4/
#civilforfeiture #Forfeiture #PolicingforProfit #dueprocessmatters #lawstudents #PublicInterestLaw
Today, the #SupremeCourt declined to hear the case of Erma Wilson, who had her life turned upside down by a conviction in which her prosecutor was on the judge’s payroll.
ij.org/press-release/supreme-co...
Justin stuck his neck out and fought back for years at great personal cost when local officials tried to silence him.
But that is exactly what makes this victory so meaningful: after years of pressure, retaliation, and an effort to push him aside, Justin Pulliam and the #FirstAmendment won.
The decision also confirmed an earlier decision that Sheriff Fagan and Fort Bend County violated Pulliam’s rights when the Sheriff kicked Pulliam out of a press conference in July 2021 on the ground that Pulliam was not real media.
U.S. District Court Judge Hanks ruled:
“Pulliam’s arrest was motivated by Rollins’s hostility towards the content of Pulliam’s speech” and that Justin's arrest was in “retaliation for the exercise of his First Amendment rights of free speech as a citizen and journalist...”
In December 2021, Pulliam was filming deputies at a welfare check.
Lieutenant Taylor Rollins arrived and immediately told Pulliam to leave.
Even though there were other civilians present who were not leaving, Rollins arrested Pulliam as he was walking away.
Yesterday afternoon, Justin won!
Victory for #FreeSpeech!
Yesterday afternoon, a U.S. District Court handed a big win to independent journalist Justin Pulliam after a trial last summer.
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City that Used “Blight” Labels to Steal Property DEFEATED
Learn more here: ij.org/press-release/victory-co...
This week, IJ submitted an amicus brief in the #SCOTUS case Chatrie v. United States, urging the court to recognize that the execution of a multi-step geofence warrant violated the #4thAmendment.
The ROOM Act would remove several barriers to allow for streamlining construction of new units or the conversion of current buildings into modern co-living housing helping provide a valuable tool in bringing affordability back to #RhodeIsland communities.
“I still don’t understand why I was mistaken for a criminal and treated like a violent one and I hope that now I can start to get some answers and hold the people who did this responsible.”
ij.org/press-release/woman-suin...
IJ will continue its work nationwide to restore real accountability when government officials violate constitutional rights—including challenging #QualifiedImmunity, task-force #immunity, and #FederalImmunity.
“The Supreme Court’s refusal to engage with task-force #immunity today means that Officer Weyker will face zero consequences for violating the Constitution and her victim—Hamdi Mohamud—is left to bear the cost of her abuse.”
—IJ Senior Attorney Patrick Jaicomo @pjaicomo.bsky.social
Hamdi Mohamud was a teenager when false claims by a task-force officer put her in federal jail for nearly 2 years.
Today, the #SupremeCourt declined to hear her case, ending Hamdi's yearslong fight to hold a cross-deputized task-force officer accountable.
Thanks to IJ’s win in Bailey v. Iles, the 5th Circuit rejected the outdated “falsely shouting fire in a theater” excuse for censoring speech.
Now that 5th Circuit ruling could protect another Louisiana man targeted for criticizing his sheriff.
Share the love this February by doubling your impact! ❤️ Many employers match donations—find out if yours does here: https://ij.org/support/employer-match/
"Individuals seeking accountability in the courts for wrongful acts by federal officers face serious challenges. Under current law, they are, in effect, trying to unlock the courthouse door with one of four different legal keys that are either broken or don’t fit."
@theunpopulist.net:
$200 Cash Rule Forces Business to Take Customers' Private Info
Rights don’t protect anyone if they can’t be enforced.
IJ is working to dismantle the legal barriers that shield federal agents from accountability.
Learn more about our Project on Immunity and Accountability here: ij.org/issues/project-on-immuni...
Yesterday, a federal judge sided with Norfolk, Virginia in a federal lawsuit challenging the city's warrantless use of more than 170 automated license plate reader (#ALPR) cameras.
Represented by IJ, Hampton Roads residents Lee Schmidt and Crystal Arrington will appeal the decision.
Landmark Court Battle: Family Beats $1M Forfeiture Attempt
On January 24, 2013, IJ won a major federal court victory against civil forfeiture. This decision set an early, important precedent reining in federal forfeiture power.
Rights don’t protect anyone if they can’t be enforced.
IJ is working to dismantle the legal barriers that shield federal agents from accountability.
Learn more about our Project on Immunity and Accountability here: ij.org/issues/project-on-immuni...
Eric Andre’s Warrantless Search Was No Joke
Cops overlooked obvious evidence they were at the wrong place when they raided @ij.org clients Avery Marshall & Alisa Carr's home last year.
Now, they're arguing they should get qualified immunity for the wrong house raid.
They shouldn't.
www.law360.com/articles/243...
In America, police can’t treat an innocent teenager walking near school like an armed threat over a minor theft.
And once officers realize they’ve detained the wrong person, the Constitution requires them to let him go immediately.
Historic Renters Privacy' Court Ruling
While this is a monumental win for renter privacy, it still allows for unconstitutional searches without individualized probable cause. IJ plans to press forward with an appeal to end the practice once and for all.
Leo is a U.S. citizen. They tackled him. They handcuffed him.
They ignored his REAL ID.
Weeks later, he was detained again.
Now, represented by IJ, Leo is fighting back, because if Americans must follow the law, the government must follow the Constitution.
More here: ij.org/case/alabama...
