Law and Chaos

The Trump administration goes mask-off with its attack on Jimmy Kimmel. If you'd told us the Man Show guy would become a First Amendment avatar … we'd never have believed you. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has torched its cred with all the judges, even the FedSoc ones! But Lisa Cook is still a Fed governor!

Links:

SCOTUS Docket Lisa Cook

https://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docket/docketfiles/html/public\25a312.html

Barco Mercado v. Noem

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71065570/barco-mercado-v-noem/

L.G.M.L. v. Noem

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71240524/lgml-v-noem

Trump tries to stick up The New York Times with a water gun

https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-15-billion

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The Department of Homeland Security has decreed that we will all learn what chain refoulement is … by watching them try to rendition wave after wave of immigrants. Andrew and Liz will explain how that's totally illegal. Plus, Newsmax is suing Fox News, again.

Links:

Newsmax v. Fox [Wisconsin Docket]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71323347/newsmax-broadcasting-llc-v-fox-corporation

Newsmax v. Fox [Florida Docket]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71258079/newsmax-broadcasting-llc-v-fox-corporation

Biden v. Byrne

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne

Comey v. DOJ

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice

American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. United States Office of Personnel Management

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69655364/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-united-states/

D.A. v. Noem

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71323714/da-v-noem

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District and Circuit Court judges are in more or less open revolt over the Supreme Court's abuse of the shadow docket. Perhaps Justice Gorsuch shouldn't have implied that they were all stupid and insubordinate for failing to read his mind! The Trump administration insists it's very cool and very legal to deport immigrant children in the middle of the night so long as it's Health and Human Services doing the deporting. Will Judge Tim Kelly agree? And Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are back to teach us civil procedure. Sanctions, anyone?

Links:

Ronny Jackson v. Weber (CA Sec State)

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71235529/jackson-v-weber/

Kash Patel Makes FBI Great Again By Getting It Sued

https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/kash-patel-makes-fbi-great-again

Alex Jones SCOTUS Cert Petition Docket

https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-268.html

Judge Ho "Denny's" Order

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134/gov.uscourts.ca5.224134.25.1.pdf

First Circuit Order, Rhode Island v. Trump

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.59257/gov.uscourts.rid.59257.79.0.pdf

Judges, desperate for guidance, plead with Supreme Court justices: 'Write an opinion'

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/11/supreme-court-emergency-rulings-judges-00558058

L.G.M.L. v. Noem

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71240524/lgml-v-noem

Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69510553/lively-v-wayfarer-studios-llc/?order_by=desc

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The Supreme Court used the shadow docket to legalize racial profiling, although only Justice Kavanaugh was dumb enough to admit it out loud. It also overturned Humphrey's Executor, but this time even Kav wouldn't cop to it. Meanwhile at the White House, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought discovers ONE WEIRD trick to steal Congress's power of the purse. And the Second Circuit confirms, Alina Habba is still very bad at her job.

Links:

White House Prayer Executive Order

https://www.whitehouse.gov/america250/america-prays/

SCOTUS Shadow Docket Order Trump v. Slaughter

https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/090825zr_4f15.pdf

Second Circuit Order Carroll v. Trump 1

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca2.e508a4b2-feae-4592-a6dc-d30f9ed35bb6/gov.uscourts.ca2.e508a4b2-feae-4592-a6dc-d30f9ed35bb6.134.1_1.pdf

SCOTUS Docket Trump v. Vasquez Perdomo

https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25a169.html

White House "pocket rescission" announcement (Aug. 29, 2025)

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/08/historic-pocket-rescission-package-eliminates-woke-weaponized-and-wasteful-spending/

AIDS Vaccine Coalition v. State

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277333/gov.uscourts.dcd.277333.145.0_4.pdf

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Newsmax is suing Fox News, and they've scored antitrust expert (lol) Judge Aileen Cannon. And while the Supreme Court is busy burning down the judiciary, trial judges are standing up. This week Judge Allison Burroughs of the District Court of Massachusetts ordered the Trump administration to give Harvard University its grant money back, and along the way reads SCOTUS conservatives for filth. And for subscribers: Why is the White House racing to appeal the tariff ruling when it could ride the stay for another eight months?

Links:

Newsmax v. Fox News

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71258079/newsmax-broadcasting-llc-v-fox-corporation

L.G.M.L. v. Noem

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71240524/lgml-v-noem

Trump v. V.O.S. Selections [SCOTUS Docket]

https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-250.html

V.O.S. Selections v. Trump [Federal Circuit Docket]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70394463/vos-selections-inc-v-trump/?order_by=desc

In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court's handling of Trump cases

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-trump-cases-federal-judges-criticize-rcna221775

Harvard v. HHS [docket via CourtListener]

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.283718/

NIH v. APHA (Supreme Court stay)

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/25a103_kh7p.pdf

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Today on Law and Chaos … Trump's tariffs are illegal. A Judge named Sparkle just lit Kristi Noem on fire for trying to kidnap hundreds of Guatemalan children in the middle of the night. And Rudy Giuliani is getting the presidential medal of freedom. Plus, subscribers get a deep dive into all the ways the Department of Homeland Security is violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

Links:

Res Ipsa Media v. DOJ

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71236135/res-ipsa-media-llc-v-department-of-justice/

X Corp v. Apple

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71236135/res-ipsa-media-llc-v-department-of-justice/

L.G.M.L v. Noem [docket via CourtListener]

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.284360/gov.uscourts.dcd.284360.1.0_1.pdf

VOS Selections, Inc. v. Trump [Federal Circuit docket via CourtListener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70394463/vos-selections-inc-v-trump

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After "fixing" crime in DC, Trump is off to "fix" Chicago. But since Chicago is in an actual state, he may encounter one or two legal issues. And after the Supreme Court shook its finger at the president and said not to fire members of the Federal Reserve, he's trying to do it anyway. Whodathunkit? Meanwhile, DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro can't seem to indict a ham sandwich.

Links:

Lisa Cook v. Trump [Fed Board of Govs case, Docket via Court Listener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71218248/cook-v-trump/

US v. Dunn [Hoagie Hurler, Docket via Court Listener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71223125/united-states-v-dunn/

US v. Reid [Triple No Bill, Docket via Court Listener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196710/united-states-v-reid/?order_by=desc

Prosecutors Fail to Obtain Indictment Against Man Who Threw Sandwich at Federal Agent

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/us/politics/trump-sandwich-assault-indictment-justice-department.html

D.C. judges and grand jurors push back on Trump policing surge

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/27/trump-crime-surge-court-cases/

Trump Executive Order "Additional Measures to Address the Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia"

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/additional-measures-to-address-the-crime-emergency-in-the-district-of-columbia/

Chicago crime dashboard

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/vrd/home.html

Chicago crime fact sheet

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/mayor/Press%20Room/Press%20Releases/2025/August/FACT%20SHEET%20CITY%20OF%20CHICAGO%20CONTINUES%20TO%20SEE%20HISTORIC%20DECLINES%20IN%20VIOLENT%20CRIME%20UNDER%20MAYOR%20BRANDON%20JOHNSON.pdf

DC Home Rule Act

https://dccouncil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Home-Rule-Act-2018-for-printing-9-13-182.pdf

10 USC § 12406

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/12406

10 U.S.C. 253

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/253

Trump Tries to Grab 'Em by the Comme Positatus

https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trump-tries-to-grab-em-by-the-posse

Newsom v. Trump (N.D. Cal.) [docket via CourtListener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70496361/newsom-v-trump/?order_by=desc

Trump Title 10 proclamation for Los Angeles

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/department-of-defense-security-for-the-protection-of-department-of-homeland-security-functions/

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to Maryland… where he was promptly arrested by ICE, which is threatening to deport him to Uganda. Will the courts stop it? Meanwhile, Texas tees up to defend breaking apart majority-minority districts by claiming that they were only trying to hurt Democrats, not Latinos. Also: can Trump really ban flag burning? (No.)

Links:

Flag Burning EO

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/prosecuting-burning-of-the-american-flag/

Abrego Garcia v. Noem [MD Docket before Judge Xinis]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem/?order_by=desc

Texas Redistricting 2021 (LULAC v. Abbott)

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txwd.1150387/gov.uscourts.txwd.1150387.1127.0.pdf

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The Fifth Circuit says yes to drag shows, but no to workers' rights. Donald Trump loses one fight to keep his dingbat lawyer Alina Habba on as Acting Interim Assistant Special Top Secret Temporary US Attorney for New Jersey, but wins big in a New York appellate court. And multiple courts tell Attorney General Pam Bondi to pound sand, even though she would really, really like to invade the secrecy of the grand jury to try and make everyone forget that her patron and Jeffrey Epstein were best buds.

Links:

US v. Giraud [challenge to Alina Habba; docket via CourtListener]

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69409922/united-states-v-giraud-iii/

Trump v. New York [New York Appellate Division]

https://nycourts.gov/courts/AD1/calendar/AppsMots/2025/apps/20250821/2023-04925,%20et%20ano..pdf

Spectrum WT v. Wendler [5th Cir.]

https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-10994-CV0.pdf

SpaceX v. NLRB [5th Cir.]

https://ecf.ca5.uscourts.gov/n/beam/servlet/TransportRoom?servlet=ShowDocMulti&incPdfHeader=Y&pacer=t&CSRF=csrf_1956458841209811746&incPdfHeaderDisp=Y&caseId=220409&outputType=doc&d=10658064&outputForm=view&incPdfFooter=&dls=7661567

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As Dominion Voting Systems settles its defamation suit with Newsmax, Hunter Biden is making defamation suits great again. He's currently suing Overstock founder Patrick Byrne, and about to be sued by the first lady. Meanwhile, Media Matters scores a big victory over the Federal Trade Commission, and football coach Brian Flores notches a win against the NFL.

Links:

Trump v. Selzer

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69476247/trump-v-selzer/

Biden v. Byrne

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne

MMFA v. FTC

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70612884/media-matters-for-america-v-federal-trade-commission/

X Corp v. MMFA

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68023366/x-corp-v-media-matters-for-america/

Flores v. NFL

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67718968/flores-v-the-national-football-league/

Aviel v. Gor

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69746961/aviel-v-gor/

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