Ep 214 — We Were Gonna Do A Show…And Then We Got High

We’ve got two deep dives for you today, each with a lot of laughs (and almost no Donald Trump)!First, we break down the lawsuit brought by seven police officers against rapper Afroman for hurting their feelings, which ended in a total victory for the defense. It’s still legal to make fun of cops in America! We dissect the claims, discuss what it means to sue for false light invasion of privacy and unreasonable publicity. And then we break down the audio of closing arguments and how each side went about persuading an all-white jury in deep red rural Ohio.Then, we discuss the ongoing shenanigans in the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where the Trump administration has installed a “triumvirate” of lawyers to run the office rather than just submit a nominee to the Senate. Things came to a head when the government botched a prosecution for child sexual abuse materials and tried to plow ahead anyway. Judge Zahid Quraishi summoned the DOJ lawyer responsible to appear in court and… it did not go well.And for subscribers, we have a bonus that dives even deeper into the mess the Trump administration has gotten into in New Jersey because it refuses to back down and just do the normal thing.Cooley v. Foreman [Afroman lawsuit]https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23721423-afroman-lawsuit/United States v. Villafane (D.N.J. settlement) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/profile/docket-alerts/“Lemon Pound Cake” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xxK5yyecRo“Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera?” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISe3IVBBbyU&list=OLAK5uy_noWRXtUiSWHo7cMRoI34uqhSRSDpIFtqY&index=3“Licc’em Low Lisa” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWQxSV8CK8“Randy Walters is a Son of a Bitch” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4AiuqQpB1UShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court rebuffed the Trump Administration’s “emergency” request to revoke temporary protected status for half a million Haitian and Syrian nationals. It granted cert before judgment and set oral argument for April.The DOJ dropped charges against Jay Carey, a veteran who burned a flag in Lafayette Park to protest Trump’s executive order purporting to ban flag-burning.In Massachusetts, Judge Brian Murphy blocked HHS Secretary Kennedy’s attempt to rewrite the child and adult vaccine schedules.And the Justice Department keeps lowering the bar in an effort to get lawyers willing to sign on to burn down their reputations in service of the Trump agenda.MAIN SHOW:We discuss US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro’s crashout over the implosion of her retaliatory investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Judge Boasberg quashed the subpoenas, saying that there was no reason at all to think Powell committed a crime.The Judicial Conference is making it slightly easier for criminal defendants to secure representation. They’re also going to war with the General Services Administration, the world’s worst landlord.The Live Nation trial continues, without the government. Andrew’s got a deep dive into the Tunney Act and a similar antitrust case blown up by the Trump DOJ under pressure from well-connected lobbyists. These people made us agree with Laura Loomer — RUDE!TPS Cert Before Judgmenthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031626zr1_5h25.pdfUS v. Carey [Flag burning]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71223464/united-states-v-careyAmerican Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy [Vaccines]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70722326/american-academy-of-pediatrics-v-kennedy/Judiciary Says Courthouses Are in Crisis, Seeks Real Property Authorityhttps://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2026/02/24/judiciary-says-courthouses-are-crisis-seeks-real-property-authorityUS judiciary approves new public defender office focused on US Supreme Court advocacyhttps://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judiciary-approves-new-public-defender-office-focused-us-supreme-court-2026-03-10DOJ to Allow Hiring of US Prosecutors Straight Out of Law Schoolhttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-to-allow-hiring-of-us-prosecutors-straight-out-of-law-schoolLaw School Tells Students, ‘You MUST Be Aligned Politically With President Trump,’ For Summer Jobhttps://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/law-school-tells-students-you-must-be-aligned-politically-with-president-trump-for-summer-job/Jeanine Pirro Crashes Outhttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/jeanine-pirro-crashes-outIn re Grand Jury Subpoenas [Jerome Powell]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72490330/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenasThe Rule of Law Versus the Rule of Lobbyists [Roger Alford]https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rqWZHzWNbqZc/v0Proposal to Give Judiciary Real Property Authorityhttps://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/judiciary-real-property-authority-legislative-package.pdfShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal judge in Maryland issued a TRO blocking the construction of an ICE detention facility without first undertaking the legally required environmental impact assessment.The Trump administration filed an “emergency” petition to the Supreme Court demanding that it be allowed to immediately deport 350,000 Haitians who have enjoyed Temporary Protected Status for decades. It insists an earlier shadow docket ruling allowing it to deport Venezuelan TPS holders is precedential. An amicus brief from 175 former judges points out that shadow docket orders are definitionally non-precedential.The USDA is teaming up with Robert Kennedy and his team of freaks at Health and Human Services to Make America Healthy Again … by shaming poor people for their food choices. SNAP recipients sued in DC to block a “pilot” program to allow states to restrict food benefits to exclude sugary foods.MAIN SHOW:DOGE destroyed the National Endowment for the Humanities in three weeks last spring. We wrote about it on the blog, and discussed the ongoing litigation. Turns out, the DOGE dudes are pissed that the plaintiffs released video of them smirking their way through depositions.On Monday, in the middle of trial, the Trump administration tried to blow up the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. This leaves the 40 states which joined the suit as co-plaintiffs in the lurch. Judge Arun Subramanian has ordered the parties to huddle up and see if they can’t negotiate a settlement. Will the case go forward next week without the lead plaintiff?And Andrew has an extended exploration of Trump’s plan to use a little known federal agency called the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to get oil tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The DFC has released a plan (or at least, concepts of a plan) to reinsure insurance companies that issue war riders. Which might help if insurance companies were refusing to issue policies to ships at sea – except that insurance companies are still underwriting as many marine policies as ever. It’s just that it costs more now, because of the war.Plus for subscribers, we’ll break down the bar complaint against fan favorite Ed Martin.Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents This Week, Calling It A “Historic Opportunity”https://deadline.com/2026/03/kash-patel-ufc-fighters-train-fbi-agents-1236750897/State of Maryland v. Noem [ICE Detention Center in Hagerstown]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noemLesly Miot v. Trump [Haitian TPS, Trial Docket]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70965949/lesly-miot-v-trump/Trump v. Miot [SCOTUS Docket]https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25a999.htmlDOGE Bros Had More Fun Burning Down Government Than Testifying About Ithttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/doge-bros-had-more-fun-burning-downAuthors Guild v. National Endowment for the Humanitieshttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70243086/the-authors-guild-v-national-endowment-for-the-humanitiesAmicus Brief of 175 Former Judges re Precedent of Shadow Docket Rulingshttps://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A952/400077/20260305142419318_Amicus%20Brief%20of%20Former%20Judges%20re%20Dahlia%20Doe_FINAL.pdfAragon v. Rollins [SNAP Benefits]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72419889/aragon-v-rollins/DOJ nopes out of Ticketmaster antitrust suithttps://www.publicnotice.co/p/ticketmaster-suit-dojUS v. Live Nationhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-incTrump’s ‘free flow of energy’ vow fails to restart shipping in strait of Hormuz [The Guardian]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/trump-free-flow-energy-fails-restart-shipping-strait-hormuzDFC Reinsurance announcement [US International Development Finance Corporation]https://www.dfc.gov/media/press-releases/dfc-announces-chubb-lead-insurance-partner-maritime-reinsurance-planGulf war risk premiums topping double-digit millions of dollars per trip [Lloyd’s List]https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156586/Gulf-war-risk-premiums-topping-double-digit-millions-of-dollars-per-tripNo, P&I clubs have not ‘cancelled war risk cover’ [Lloyd’s List]https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156515/No-PI-clubs-have-not-cancelled-war-risk-coverShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:War Powers Resolution fails in both Houses of Congress.DHS is ramping up for an immigration surge in Maryland and has purchased an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Hagerstown. The state is suing to block the facility on environmental grounds. In Baltimore, Judge Julie Rubin joins judges in New York and Los Angeles in holding that ICE is systematically violating the Fifth Amendment rights of immigrants in “temporary” detention by holding them for days on end without hygiene, medical care, or access to counsel.Kalshi customers have filed a class action suit over the company’s refusal to pay out on bets — oops, we mean CONTRACT SWAPS — that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave office as Supreme Leader of Iran before March 1.Trump continues to defy the Constitution’s requirement that he get Senate approval for principal officers. We discussed it in our post on Judge Lamberth holding that Kari Lake was never legally serving as head of the US Agency for Global Media, and thus her directives are null and void. And Judge Matthew Brann has ruled once again that Attorney General Pam Bondi can’t evade senate confirmation for the US Attorney in New Jersey — no, not even if she spreads the appointment out among three lawyers, not just one. And we’ll talk about the Trump administration’s humiliating U-turn as it tries to un-dismiss the appeal in the case of the executive orders targeting law firms, as well as Anthropic’s complaint against the government. Turns out, defying Trump can be good for business!Subscriber Bonus: The Trump administration just dismissed the antitrust suit against Live Nation mid-trial for, uh, reasons. ICE awards $113 million to build out Hagerstown detention centerhttps://www.thebanner.com/politics-power/national-politics/ice-hagerstown-detention-center-contract-AHIV2KEHQJAVFMWBYKO2YBWOCU/Maryland v. Noem [ICE Warehouse]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noem/?order_by=descD.N.N. v. Liggins [ICE temporary holding facility in Baltimore]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70321567/dnn-v-liggins/Risch v. Kalshihttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72371954/risch-v-kalshiex-llc/Judge Rules That Kari Lake Is Still A Loser [Law and Chaos]https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/judge-rules-that-kari-lake-is-stillUS v. Naviwala [US Attorney New Jersey]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68269162/united-states-v-naviwalaSusman Godfrey v. Executive Office of the President (DC Cir. Appeal) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71202175/susman-godfrey-llp-v-executive-office-of-the-president/Anthropic v. US Dep’t of War, [docket via CourtListener]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465515/Business Insider, “Claude Hits Number One In The App Store”https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-claude-hits-number-one-app-store-openai-chatgpt-2026-2US v. LiveNation Entertainment (Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-inc/Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Law and Chaos wishes a big mazal tov to Kristi Noem on her new, very real job as assistant principal of the Yeehaw American Hegemony Club. And to Lindsey Halligan on catching a Florida Bar investigation.We’ll discuss our recent post on Pam Bondi’s very timely announcement that she intends to take over state bar complaints against DOJ employees. It comes at a moment when district court judges are telegraphing very clearly that they are going to start holding DHS and DOJ in criminal contempt for rampant disregard of court orders. Specifically, Judge Michael Farbiarz of the District of New Jersey says he’ll require sworn affidavits from officials at the US Attorneys Office and ICE for every habeas release case that comes before him. This will likely serve as a model for other judges whose dockets are buckling under the weight of habeas cases from all the immigrants ICE is illegally detaining.Elections expert Joe Dye is back to discuss Tuesday’s primary elections in Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina.And for subscribers, we’ll discuss the shadow docket order in which the six conservative justices leapt in to save New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis's seat.Lindsey Halligan Is Under Investigation by the Florida Barhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/lindsey-halligan-investigation-florida-bar.htmlBondi Says She's The Bar Nowhttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/bondi-says-shes-the-bar-nowJudge Farbiarz Order re Contempthttps://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.590517/gov.uscourts.njd.590517.30.0.pdfMalliotakis v. Williams [2026 Supreme Court New York redistricting decision]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a914_1p24.pdfAbbott v. LULAC [2025 Supreme Court stay of Texas map]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a608_7khn.pdfRucho v. Common Cause [2019 Supreme Court gerrymandering opinion]https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6090361490276671133Steve Vladek, Bonus 214: Emergency Relief from State Courts [One First]https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-214-emergency-relief-from-stateShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:The Trump administration is tapping out on the lawsuits defending executive orders attacking law firms. Too bad, so sad for the Vichy law firms that pledged a billion dollars in “conservative pro bono” work.Justice Gorsuch says we can’t take guns away from drug users because the Founders were drunk all the time.The Federal Circuit declines a request by the Trump administration to delay tariff refunds.Kansas’s revocation of trans citizens’ drivers licenses draws its first court challenge.And Virginia’s redistricting referendum can go ahead.MAIN SHOW:We discuss the history of the president’s power to commence hostilities and explain why Trump and his goons are so deeply invested in claiming that the war in Iran — which isn’t a war at all! — was defensive, not offensive. Plus Andrew’s got a deep dive into the War Powers Resolution and how it might bring about an end to this nightmare.We’ve got clips from 60 Minutes’s very good story on the danger federal judges face when they go against the Trump administration. Judges in the Western District of West Virginia join the list of jurisdictions telling DHS/DOJ that contempt charges are coming if they keep relying on crackpot legal theories to kidnap residents.Judge John Tunheim issues class relief to refugees in Minnesota, barring DHS from interning them for recertification.And for subscribers: a discussion of the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution.Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctionshttps://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-administration-to-drop-defense-of-law-firm-sanctions-cb839c39US v. Hemani Oral Argumenthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-1234V.O.S. Selections [Tariff mandate]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.173.0_2.pdfDoe v. Kansas [Trans drivers’ licenses]https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/02/Complaint-1.pdfVirginia redistricting election can move forward, court ruleshttps://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-redistricting-election-can-move-forward-court-rulesFederal judges who've ruled against Trump administration denounce threats against themselves, their familieshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judges-whove-ruled-against-trump-administration-denounce-threats-60-minutes-transcript/Judges in a Trump stronghold condemn ICE tacticshttps://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/west-virginia-immigration-rulings-00804575Dominguez Izaguirre v. Mason [West Virginia Habeas]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036.18.0.pdfWar Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/chapter-33“Trump Can’t Declare War On Iran (or Anyone)” [lawandchaospod.com]https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trump-cant-declare-war-on-iran-orLiz’s YouTube video for Legal Eagle, “The Largest Bribe in American History”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE2pm3omzMI&t=3sNat’l Treasury Employees’ Union v. Nixon, 492 F.2d 587 (D.C. Cir. 1974)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4156385560315482496INS v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919 (1983)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2221871582286121199Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:The Justice Department is suing New Jersey for not letting ICE use state buildings and parks for immigration enforcement. Because the Tenth Amendment is basically a suggestion?CBP agents dumped a blind, sick, refugee who spoke no English outside a doughnut shop in Buffalo because they couldn’t deport him. Local police are investigating his death.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is trying to manhandle Anthropic into letting it use Claude for domestic surveillance and autonomous targeting. MAIN SHOW:ICE’s total refusal to follow the law has flooded federal courts with habeas corpus petitions, and judges are PISSED. On Thursday, two judges in Minnesota and one in New Jersey threatened to hold prosecutors in contempt of court over DOJ/DHS refusing to follow court orders in immigration cases.The fascinating “Quince sues UGG” antitrust lawsuit is Last Brand, Inc. v. Deckers Outdoor Corporation. The (possibly even true) story of ugh, ugly, and finally ugg boots is told here by the Everything Australian company.On Wednesday, Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the Trump administration’s policy of third-country removals was illegal.And for subscribers, we’ll discuss Pete Hegseth’s battle with Anthropic and DHS’s theft of more than 42,000 tax returns from IRS’s database.LinksUS v. New Jersey https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72316303/united-states-v-new-jersey/Nearly blind refugee found dead in New York days after immigration agents dropped him at a coffee shop alone, officials sayhttps://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/us/shah-alam-blind-refugee-border-patrol-hnk‘Incoherent’: Hegseth’s Anthropic ultimatum confounds AI policymakers https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/incoherent-hegseths-anthropic-ultimatum-confounds-ai-policymakers-00800135Cartagena Hueso v. Sotohttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72279969/cartagena-hueso-v-soto/D.V.D. v. Dep’t of Homeland Security (D. Mass. 2025) [docket via CourtListener]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282404/gov.uscourts.mad.282404.241.0.pdfThe Surprising History of the Aussie Ugg Boothttps://everythingaustralian.com.au/blog/post/the-surprising-history-of-the-aussie-ugg-bootLast Brand, Inc. v. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (N.D. Cal. 2026) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72311102/last-brand-inc-v-deckers-outdoor-corporation/Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRShttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69646607/center-for-taxpayer-rights-v-internal-revenue-serviceShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on the stolen documents case must remain sealed forever in perpetuity.Kouri Richins goes on trial for murdering her husband in Utah. She’s not being charged for writing a terrible children’s book about dealing with grief over the loss of a parent … but maybe she should be? The Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, allowed Louisiana to require the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom statewide. The law had been blocked, but the Court decided that no one had been injured yet, so the case is unripe.Elon Musk is being sued for securities fraud in California. But they can’t seat a jury because everyone hates him.MAIN SHOW:It’s all about tariffs. We break down the Supreme Court’s Learning Resources v. Trump, and explain why dragging this case out for a year ensures chaos as importers try to recoup money they’ve already paid. And we’ll talk about Trump’s plan to impose new illegal tariffs based on a  gross misinterpretation of yet another internal statute.The opinion is particularly contentious, revealing the justices’ angry, internal feuding over the future of the court. And subscribers will get a deep dive into the origins of this conflict, reaching back to Justice Kagan’s famous 2015 “Antonin Scalia Lecture Series” lecture at Harvard Law School and extending through Justice Jackson’s concurrence in Learning Resources.US v. Trump [stolen documents case]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67490070/united-states-v-trumpKouri Richins Warranthttps://www.scribd.com/document/654496602/Kouri-Richins-WarrantContempt for Musk clouds jury selection in Twitter takeover trialhttps://www.courthousenews.com/contempt-for-musk-clouds-jury-selection-in-twitter-takeover-trial/Roake v. Brumley [Fifth Circuit Ten Commandments]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.221848/gov.uscourts.ca5.221848.389.1.pdfLearning Resources, Inc. v. Trump [tariffs case]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1287_4gcj.pdfCongressional Research Service, “Congressional and Presidential Authority to Impose Import Tariffs”https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48435/R48435.1.pdfElena Kagan “Antonin Scalia Lecture Series,” Harvard Law School (2015) [via YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpEtszFT0TgShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier is getting paid $50,000 a semester to teach a single class at University of Florida’s law school. The Trump Administration finally obeyed the court order and put the exhibit on enslaved people back at President’s House in Philadelphia.The Supreme Court has decided to eliminate corruption by asking litigants to add their stock ticker symbols to filing disclosures. Oh, you thought maybe the justices would agree to stop trading individual stocks? LOL.And a JAG lawyer sent to help out the US Attorneys Office in Minnesota got cited for contempt after ICE responded to a habeas order by dumping a Minnesota man on the street in El Paso without his identity documents. Judge Laura Provinzino ordered the lawyer to pay $500 per day until the petitioner got his ID back.MAIN SHOW:In California, Judge Sunshine Sykes issued a major benchslap to the Trump administration’s claim that it can — or must! — detain immigrants who haven’t been granted permanent residence. In December, she granted class certification and ordered the government to give everyone not detained at the border a bond hearing. The government ignored her ruling, based on a decision by the immigration courts housed inside the Justice Department. Separation of powers, how does it go?And Andrew and Liz talk about two “surveillance” issues: commercially-aggregated data tracking our every movement and “dynamic” pricing.The Supreme Court first started considering surveillance in US v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012) and endorsed the “mosaic theory” of the Fourth Amendment in Carpenter v. US, 585 US 296 (2018).Sens. Lujan and Merkley have co-sponsored the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026. Gizmodo recently ran a story about it, referencing prior research into dynamic pricing.Florida’s attorney general gets $100K part-time teaching job at UFhttps://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/02/17/uthmeier-uf-adjunct-teaching-contract-pay-attorney-general/Soto Jimenez v. Bondihttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72221590/soto-jimenez-v-bondi/Matter of Yajure Hurtadohttps://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1413311/dl?inlineMaldonado Bautista v. Noemhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70895584/lazaro-maldonado-bautista-v-ernesto-santacruz-jr/US v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3066032366235422373Carpenter v. US, 585 US 296 (2018)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=853695326923033538Text of the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026https://www.lujan.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MUR26086-1.pdfShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:Trump celebrated President’s Day by filing a trademark for Donald J. Trump International Airport — just in time for Florida’s move to rename Palm Beach International Airport in his honor. KA-CHING!In Colorado, a state judge ruled that throwing prisoners in solitary confinement as a penalty for refusing to work violates the state constitution’s ban on involuntary servitude. It’s a start!And in Philadelphia, Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to restore an exhibit on the enslaved people who lived at President’s House under George Washington: “Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history.”MAIN SHOW:In Minnesota, Judge Nancy Brasel ordered DHS to grant detainees in “holding rooms” at the Whipple Building in Minneapolis meaningful access to counsel. The ruling bars ICE from removing immigrants from the state for 72 hours after they are originally picked up. We’ll discuss the cracks appearing between DHS, which ignores court orders, and DOJ, which has to show up in court and take the blame for it.In New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan issued a similar order in September with respect to temporary “holding rooms” on the 9th floor at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, with additional requirements that DHS provide for detainees' hygiene, nutrition, and medical needs. The plaintiffs say ICE has not complied and moved for contempt. The City reports that DHS opened up new temporary detention facilities on the 10th floor, but claims the injunction doesn’t apply there for, uh, REASONS.And we break down all the ways Republicans are trying to suppress the vote with the SAVE America Act, which solves the nonexistent problem of noncitizens voting illegally by imposing a series of restrictions on citizens registering and voting.In the subscriber bonus, we discuss a district court’s decision in Massachusetts enjoining the Trump administration from deploying ICE in and around churches. Trump’s Private Company Files Trademark for ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport’https://www.gerbenlaw.com/blog/trumps-private-company-files-trademark-for-president-donald-j-trump-international-airport/Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmaxhttps://jasongarcia.substack.com/p/buried-in-the-budget-mike-huckabeeMortis v. Polis [Colorado Prison Labor]https://towardsjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Findings-of-Fact-and-Conclusions-of-Law.pdfPhiladelphia v. Burgum https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72178941/city-of-philadelphia-v-burgum/Advocates for Human Rights v. DHS [Whipple Building]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72196538/the-advocates-for-human-rights-v-us-department-of-homeland-securitBarco Mercado v. Noem [26 Federal Plaza]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71065570/barco-mercado-v-noemICE Moved Detainees to Previously Undisclosed Floor of 26 Federal Plazahttps://www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/09/26-federal-plaza-jail-conditions-ice-judge-kaplan-ruling/Text of S.1383, the “SAVE America” Acthttps://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20260209/RCP_S1383_xml.pdfNew England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America v. DHShttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70939776/new-england-synod-evangelical-lutheran-church-in-america-v-department-of/Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.