Law and Chaos

DOCKET ALERTS:
From the SCOTUS orders list, petitions for certiorari denied in E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit against Trump and Alan Dershowitz's defamation suit against CNN. Pay up, a-hole! And of course, a big Nelson Muntz HA HA for Dersh.
 
The DC man who followed National Guard troops around while playing the Imperial March from Star Wars has settled his lawsuit against DC cops, but not against the guardsmen who called them.
 
John "Torture Memos" Yoo has been sworn in as a constitutional "advisor" to the farcical conspiracy investigation in South Florida being led by conspiracy-flogging lawyer Joe diGenova.
 
We discuss our post on the NRA trying to sue itself into oblivion.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Mehmet Oz
 
MAIN SHOW:
Journalist Katie Phang sued the Justice Department to make it release the remaining Epstein files, and she won!
 
Associate Attorney General Stan Woodward told a federal judge in Virginia to get bent in the slush fund case. Big fail!
 
The Supreme Court rules that states can accept ballots that are postmarked by election day and arrive a few days late. 
 
But SCOTUS went on to gut the administrative state in a case called Trump v. Slaughter, overturning a seminal 1935 case that allowed Congress to protect federal agencies and ensure partisan continuity by barring the president from firing agency heads and board members. The Court did carve out an exception for the Federal Reserve in Trump v. Cook, which is different for, uh, REASONS. 
 
SUBSCRIBER EDITION:
We'll break down the Supreme Court's ruling in Chatrie v. US, a case involving geofencing warrants for cellphone location data.
 
SCOTUS orders list
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/062926zor_1bn2.pdf
 
O'Hara v. Beck
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71730267/ohara-v-beck/
 
Yoo to advise diGenova on probe into inquiries of Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/28/yoo-to-advise-digenova-on-probe-into-inquiries-of-trumps-2016-campaign-and-russia-00979585
 
The NRA Is Suing Itself In All The Courts At Once
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/the-nra-is-suing-itself-in-all-the
 
Phang v. Blanche
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73246595/phang-v-blanche/
 
Floyd v. DOJ [Slush Fund]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73383692/floyd-v-department-of-justice/
 
Watson v. RNC [late ballots]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1260_g3cn.pdf
 
Trump v. Cook [Federal Reserve Board]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a312_5468.pdf
 
Trump v. Slaughter [FTC]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-332_qn12.pdf
 
Chatrie v. US
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/25#:~:text=Chatrie%20v.%20United%20States



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DOCKET ALERTS:
The administration says it's going to prosecute anyone who touches the algae-ridden Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. So far, that seems to be more bluster than reality.
 
Sadly, what isn't bluster is that Judges Reed O'Connor and Mark Pittman in Texas are handing down extraordinarily long punitive sentences for Antifa protestors to "send a message" not to criticize the government.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Postmaster General David Steiner, who tried to pass off voter suppression efforts to not distribute ballots as just "best practices" for the USPS. Fortunately, Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts permanently enjoined that part of Trump's plan to steal the midterms and ordered declared Trump's executive order unconstitutional and void.
 
MAIN SHOW:
It was a rough week at the Supreme Court, with SEVEN decisions all reaching extreme right-wing outcomes, all by the exact same 6-3 margin, and using contradictory legal "reasoning" to get there. The Supreme Court prevented victims of human rights abuses from suing the US company Cisco, while permitting Exxon Mobil to sue the Cuban government.
 
US v. Song [antifa protestors, docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71912958/united-states-v-arnold/
 
California v. Trump [post office injunction, docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.298518/
 
Exxon Mobil v. Corporation CIMEX [Supreme Court suits against Cuba]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-699_f204.pdf
 
Cisco Systems v. Doe [Supreme Court human rights suits]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-856_kjfm.pdf
 
Landor v. Louisiana Dep't of Corrections [Supreme Court Rastafarian religious liberty]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/23-1197_h3ci.pdf
 
Blanche v. Lau [Supreme Court lawful permanent residents]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-429_h3ci.pdf
 
Mullin v. Al Otro Lado [Supreme Court asylum applications]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-5_86qd.pdf
 
Mullin v. Doe [Supreme Court TPS]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-1083_f204.pdf
 
US v. Southern Poverty Law Center [criminal indictment of SPLC; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73223865/united-states-v-southern-poverty-law-center-inc/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc



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DOCKET ALERTS:
Maryland became the ninth state to beat back a lawsuit from the DOJ's Civil Division seeking to seize its full, unredacted voter rolls.
 
In Massachusetts, a judge allowed states to proceed with a lawsuit to block an executive order requiring DHS to maintain a master list of voters and barring USPS from delivering mail-in ballots from anyone on the list. 
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar, who was featured in a Bloomberg Law story about judges embarrassing themselves by trying to get nominated for SCOTUS if/when Justice Alito announces his retirement in July. Thapar, who is 56, started a Substack to talk about how his fitness regimen means he's really only 43.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
In Minnesota, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz quashed DOJ subpoenas for Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, AG Keith Ellison, and several other state officials. The court held that the subpoenas were plainly levied for an improper purpose, namely to punish state officials for refusing to cooperate with Trump's immigration raids. That's a violation of the Tenth Amendment.
 
Also in Minnesota, charges were dropped against yet another protester from the winter immigration surge into the Twin Cities. ICE/CBP conduct here was egregious, and the US Attorney claims to be investigating.
 
Since the satirical newspaper The Onion is planning to launch an InfoWars parody on July 2, we revisit all of the bankruptcy court shenanigans to date and talk about what might happen next in court.
 
Finally, we check in on the Trump insurrectionist slush fund and the administration's continued refusal to actually promise in court, under oath, that it won't resurrect the idea. In the Eastern District of Virginia, the administration simply refused to file declarations ordered by the presiding judge. And in the original lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS in Florida, 35 eminent judges filed their reply brief urging the judge to reopen the case and inspect the settlement.
 
In the Subscriber Bonus, we break down a lawsuit filed by the Ford Motor Company against a law firm in California that has an… aggressive approach to trying to get its attorneys' fees reimbursed for representing consumers who get their cars replaced under the state's "Lemon Law."
 
US v. DeMarinis [Maryland voter rolls]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71980724/united-states-v-demarinis/
 
League of Women Voters v. Trump [Mail-in ballot EO]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump/
 
In re Subpoenas [MN subpoenas quashed]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73512670/in-re-subpoenas/
 
US v. Johnson [MN protester, charges dropped]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72200628/united-states-v-johnson/
 
Judges Jockey for Potential Trump Supreme Court Appointment
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/judges-jockey-for-potential-trump-supreme-court-appointment
 
Floyd v. DOJ [lawsuit challenging Slush Fund; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73383692/floyd-v-department-of-justice/
 
Trump v. IRS [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation/?order_by=desc
 
Ford Motor Company v. Quill & Arrow LLP [fee-shifting in Lemon Law cases; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73503023/ford-motor-company-v-quill-arrow-llp/



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DOCKET ALERTS:
 
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is facing a residency challenge to his gubernatorial campaign.
 
The Justice Department dismissed a case seeking to enforce a moratorium on offshore and onshore windfarm permits. Instead they're buying back leases for windfarms, so that energy companies can develop natural gas plants in the midwest. Murica!
 
The DOJ is trying to take advantage of a half-assed plot to attack Trump's UFC to get the court to let him build his ballroom. 
 
Doofus of the Day: Covid denier Alex Berenson, who got a $150,000 payout from the Trump administration because he got booted from Twitter in 2021.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
It was an opinion day at SCOTUS, and every decision was authored by a bizarre coalition of justices. Of most interest was US v. Hemani, in which the Court held that regular marijuana use cannot be a reason to deny Americans the right to own a gun.
 
The US Attorneys Office in Minnesota announced conspiracy charges against protesters of the immigration surge into Minneapolis earlier this year. Like the Broadview 6 case, it's a transparent attempt to criminalize activities protected by the First Amendment and impose collective punishment on opponents of the administration's policies.
 
The Federal Trade Commission sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in Texas, alleging that its Standards of Care document (SOC-8) violates Section 5 of the FTC Act.
 
SUBSCRIBERS: No FISA for you! Trump just blew up the deal to get FISA reauthorized and his new Director of National Intelligence confirmed.
 
Tuberville Residency Challenge [via ALReporter]
https://www.alreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tuberville-Filings.pdf
 
US v. Hemani [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1234_g2bh.pdf
 
Hunter v. US [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1063_5ifl.pdf
 
T.M. v. Univ. of Maryland Medical System [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-197_bp7c.pdf
 
US v. Sant [MN protesters]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73489496/united-states-v-sant
 
FTC v. WPATH [docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.421590/
 
WPATH SOC-8
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644
 
HHS's "Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices."
https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf



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Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
The Supreme Court issued orders today, opinions coming Thursday.
 
The Wall Street Journal reports that Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for DC, is investigating banks for "debanking" conservatives. 
 
Judge James Boasberg benchslapped Pirro's effort to magic away his order quashing her abusive subpoena on the Federal Reserve.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: A judge in Mississippi disqualified all the lawyers in a case after finding that both sides cited fake cases hallucinated by AI.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
The battle over the Kennedy Center continues. At the eleventh hour, the Center's Board appealed the order to take Trump's name off the building, citing a new rule that would strip all funding from the institution if Trump's name came down. The trial judge denied the requested stay, and so did the Circuit Court. Meanwhile, the Washington National Opera is suing the Kennedy Center for expropriating its $17 million endowment.
 
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from implementing the Anti-Weaponization Fund whether under a new name or not.
 
New reporting from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times reveals two revealing memos from White House advisor Will Scharf on suspending the writ of habeas corpus and the Insurrection Act.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
 
A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked Texas AG Ken Paxton's investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, holding that it was plainly retaliatory for its support for his Democratic Senate rival James Talarico.
 
SCOTUS Orders List June 15
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/061526zor_5if6.pdf
 
Jeanine Pirro's Prosecutors Probe Big Banks for Alleged 'Debanking'
https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/jeanine-pirros-prosecutors-probe-big-banks-for-alleged-debanking-13568e9b
 
Powell/Fed Reserve Subpoenas
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72490330/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenas
 
ActBlue v. Paxton
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73285205/actblue-llc-v-paxton/
 
Washington National Opera v. US
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73476333/washington-national-opera-v-united-states/
 
Beatty v. Trump [DC Circuit]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73477160/joyce-beatty-v-donald-trump
 
Withers v. City of Aberdeen [AI Attorney Sanctions]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69485760/withers-v-city-of-aberdeen
 
Floyd v. DOJ [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73383692/floyd-v-department-of-justice/?order_by=desc
 
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan,"Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right," New York Times, June 15, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/us/politics/trump-scharf-habeas-corpus-insurrection-act.html
 
Will Scharf Habeas Corpus memo
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/2afc51a03e41c257/7f0f0dff-full.pdf
 
Will Scharf Insurrection Act memo
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/ab7a26e5d4b63268/402f052f-full.pdf
 
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