constitutional rights

  • Supreme Court Sends Back Social Media Speech Cases, Avoiding Definitive Ruling

    The Supreme Court opted to sidestep a decisive verdict on Monday, July 1, 2024, in two cases challenging state laws aimed at regulating social media platforms’ ability to moderate content. This move leaves unresolved a contentious issue over the platforms’ free speech rights. In a move that underscored the complexity of balancing digital speech regulations…

  • Young Alaskans Sue State To Stop A $39 Billion Gas Pipeline

    In a bold move, eight young individuals are taking legal action against the Alaskan government, alleging that a massive new fossil fuel endeavor violates their constitutional rights. The lawsuit targets the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation’s proposed $38.7 billion gas export project, which, if realized, would significantly increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions for decades. According…

  • Transgender Community In Tennessee Wants State’s Refusal To Amend Birth Certificates Declared Unconstitutional

    A federal appeals court convened on Thursday, May 2, to hear arguments regarding a longstanding Tennessee policy that prohibits transgender individuals from altering the sex designation on their birth certificates. Originally filed in federal court in Nashville in 2019, the lawsuit was brought forth by transgender Tennesseans who contend that the state’s restriction lacks a…

  • Idaho Goes To The Supreme Court to Argue That Pregnant People Are Second-Class Citizens

    Idaho finds itself at the center of a contentious legal battle with significant implications for pregnant people’s access to emergency medical care as the state challenges the applicability of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) in cases involving abortion care. The dispute, scheduled for oral arguments on April 24th before the Supreme…

  • Supreme Court Grapples with Limits on Cities’ Homeless Encampment Crackdowns, Ruling Expected By June

    In a heated session, the Supreme Court on Monday, April 22, deliberated on the extent to which U.S. cities can enforce regulations targeting homeless encampments, sparking a contentious debate on public health, constitutional rights, and municipal authority. The case under scrutiny involved Grants Pass, Oregon, where a local ordinance prohibited sleeping in public with a…

  • Supreme Court Declines Review of New York City Rent Laws Despite Landlord Challenges

    New York City’s rent-related laws, notably the Rent Stabilization Law (RSL), have once again weathered legal challenges as the Supreme Court denied review in the case of 74 Pinehurst LLC v. New York. The petitioners, a group of New York City landlords, argued that the RSL violated their constitutional rights but failed to sway both…

  • In Colorado, Semiautomatic Firearm Ban Passes House, Heads to Senate

    Colorado’s Democratic-controlled House approved a bill on Sunday aimed at banning the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms. This legislative stride marks a notable development, particularly after a similar bill met a swift demise at the hands of Democrats last year. The bill, endorsed with a 35-27 vote, is now en route to the Democratic-led…

  • Trump Tests Legal Limits in Social Media Posts Amid New York Legal Battles

    Former President Donald Trump has once again stirred the legal waters with a series of social media posts, testing the boundaries of his ongoing civil and criminal cases in New York. In a flurry of messages on Truth Social, Trump addressed various legal controversies, including defamation lawsuits and criminal charges. Trump’s social media barrage included…

  • New York Inmates Will See Upcoming Eclipse After Winning Lawsuit

    A group of inmates in New York has achieved a significant legal victory and will now have the chance to witness the upcoming solar eclipse. The inmates have prevailed in a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The lawsuit, filed on March 29 in federal court in upstate New…

  • Harvard’s Prof Dehlia Umunna Discusses Powell v. Alabama (Video)

    In the inaugural installment of “Cases in Brief” two years ago, Harvard Law Professor Dehlia Umunna delves into the landmark case Powell v. Alabama (1932), famously known as the “Scottsboro Boys” case. This pivotal case marked the U.S. Supreme Court’s seminal ruling, establishing defendants’ rights to adequate legal representation in capital cases under the 14th…