Beyond the Brief

In Pasco County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office thought it had a great idea: make lists of who might commit crimes in the future and hound them and their families until they end up in jail or move away. Under Pasco’s so-called intelligence-led policing program, hundreds of people, many of them minors, were deemed “prolific offenders” based on a crude algorithm and subjected to relentless night-time visits, citations for minor code infractions, and other harassment. So, IJ sued, and in December we secured an agreement that will end the program for good and get justice for some of its victims. 

Today we are joined by IJ attorneys Ari Bargil and Will Aronin. 

https://youtu.be/YOMDobC5i0Q

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most reviled decisions in modern history, in Kelo v. City of New London. By a vote of 5-4, the Court said governments could use eminent domain to take private property and give it to private developers who might pay more in taxes. As Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said in her dissent, “The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.” Now, IJ has submitted a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn that infamous decision. Today we talk with IJ Deputy Litigation Director Robert McNamara, and IJ President Scott Bullock, who argued Kelo at the Supreme Court.

https://youtu.be/g-exnC-27lU

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We all want to feel secure in our homes, and if the reckless or abusive acts of government officials violate that security, we expect to be able to hold them accountable. IJ recently launched two cases in Georgia to uphold that principle; one in which a town bulldozed a home without warning or compensation and another where FBI agents violently raided the wrong house. 

Today we are joined by IJ attorneys Dylan Moore and Patrick Jaicomo. 

https://youtu.be/z4jMHnwkOj8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0syE4SY_6p8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGOJU4_tVJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRF74lBfjr0

Become a Monthly Donor

Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year.

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On Christmas Eve 2022, Jennifer Heath Box got off a cruise ship in Florida, excited to return home to Texas and spend Christmas with her children before her son was deployed. Instead, police arrested her as she got off the ship, and she spent Christmas in jail, where guards pumped death metal music and freezing air into the cells. 

All because police were looking for a woman who didn’t look like Jennifer, was half her age, and didn’t even have the same name. 

To tell us more about the case, we interview IJ attorneys Jared McClain and Bobbi Taylor.   

https://youtu.be/bRbX9TtNGC0

Not long ago, if police wanted to know where someone drove, they would have to follow that person for days, taking significant resources. But new technology allows the government to track everyone nearly all the time and to access that information without a warrant. As this technology spreads around the country, people are fighting back for the Fourth Amendment.  

Today we have with us IJ attorneys Robert Frommer and Michael Soyfer to discuss a new lawsuit in Norfolk, Virginia. 

https://youtu.be/7S3bcS_SSUE

In Pennsylvania, officers of the Fish and Boat Commission have the power to trespass on any land or water without a warrant. For one couple, that lead to repeated harassment at their lakeside home from a Waterways Conservation Officer. But the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protects all Americans, including Pennsylvanians who live near water.

Today we’re talking with IJ attorneys Kirby Thomas West and Dylan Moore about a new case challenging warrantless trespassing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5WEbit5Kg

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The proliferation of video is changing how Americans fight for their civil rights, and much of it is happening right here on YouTube. I'm Kim Norberg of the nonprofit civil liberties law firm the Institute for Justice, together with co-host Keith Neely and IJ senior attorney Patrick Jaicomo.

Today, we’re talking with special guest John Bryan, better known as The Civil Rights Lawyer. John knows firsthand how difficult civil rights lawsuits have become–and he previously partnered with IJ to overcome one of the many immunity doctrines that make it nearly impossible for ordinary people to vindicate their rights in court. As IJ unravels that web of government immunity, John has successfully turned to video to help hold abusive officials accountable. We're using different but complementary approaches to reach the same goals: bringing justice to victims and creating broader legal change.

https://youtu.be/Pv8eVmyIXTU

In 2013, a Clovis, California police officer found out that his girlfriend Desiree Martinez had reported him for physically abusing her—while Desiree was trapped in a room with him, leading to further horrific abuse. Incredibly, the informant was another officer who knew about Desiree’s boyfriend’s history of domestic violence. Desiree later sued that officer informant for enabling the abuse, but an appeals court granted qualified immunity to block the suit. Now, Desiree and IJ are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to make clear that government officials who knowingly place people in danger can be held accountable.

Today we talk with IJ attorneys Anya Bidwell and Patrick Jaicomo about Desiree’s fight for justice. 

https://youtu.be/mmViazhu130

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Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year.

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In America, the government doesn’t get to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Yet states and cities throughout the country block new business to protect established interests. That’s when IJ steps in. Awa Diagne has been braiding hair for 30 years, but when she tried to open a braiding salon in an Atlanta suburb, the town told her it would provide too much competition. So, Awa and IJ are fighting back.  

Today we talk with IJ attorneys Renee Flaherty and Will Aronin about how IJ is protecting the right to make a living

https://youtu.be/kD6T_n5_LP4

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Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year.

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Can the government take your land just because they don’t like you? That’s happening to Brinkmann’s Hardware, a beloved local store in Long Island. After a lengthy fight, the town of Southhold, NY is now trying to take their land away through eminent domain—all to protect another business from competition. Today we talk with Hank Brinkmann and IJ Senior Attorney Jeff Redfern about how Brinkmann’s Hardware went from a small family shop to a champion of property rights—and their path all the way to the Supreme Court.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltd6hT9B5DQ

related case

Family-Owned Hardware Store Sues Long Island Town Trying to Take Away their Property

The Brinkmann family owns hardware stores in Long Island and purchased property with the hope of opening a new store. The town now wants to take the land through eminent domain, simply because they don’t want another store. With the help of IJ, the Brinkmanns are fighting back against this unconstitutional tactic.

view case

Become a Monthly Donor

Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year.

donate monthly