Cisco Surveillance Case Puts Future of Human-Rights Suits Against U.S. Companies in Doubt
Cisco Systems and two of its executives face claims they helped China build a surveillance network used to target Falun Gong practitioners.
Constitutional Law
AstraZeneca Loses Bid to Dig Into Missouri Hospitals' 340B Drug Revenue
A federal judge ruled the drugmaker's subpoenas to six hospital systems were irrelevant to its Contract Clause challenge to Missouri's law protecting contract pharmacy access to 340B discounts.
Colorado GOP Loses Bid to Block Unaffiliated Voters From June Primary
A federal judge refused to rewrite Colorado's ballot-mailing timeline weeks before the state's statewide voter registration system enters a coding blackout.
Ninth Circuit Freezes Arizona Birth-Certificate Ruling for Transgender Minors
A district court had struck the word "operation" from Arizona's birth-certificate amendment statute and its implementing regulation, a ruling set to take effect in two days.
North Dakota's 340B Drug-Pricing Law Struck Down as Unconstitutional
A federal judge permanently enjoined the state's statute protecting contract pharmacies in the federal drug-discount program, holding it impermissibly intruded on a federal spending arrangement and directly regulated out-of-state transactions.
First Delaware Anti-SLAPP Ruling: Prelitigation Demand Letters Not Injury-Producing Conduct in Anticipatory Breach Claims
A biotech's prelitigation demand letter triggered a first-impression ruling on when Delaware's newly adopted anti-SLAPP statute can reach a contract dispute.
Texas Supreme Court Dismisses Gender-Transition Investigation Cases as Moot After DFPS Closes Probes
The state's high court sidestepped the constitutional merits entirely after the agency closed its investigations and the children at the center of the dispute reached adulthood.
St. George Admits First Amendment Violation, Owes $350K in Fees After Drag-Event Settlement
A Utah federal court has ordered the City of St. George to pay more than $350,000 in attorneys' fees after the city settled a civil-rights lawsuit brought by a drag performance group whose special-event permit was denied.
Montana Supreme Court Rules Corporate Political Spending Ban Complies with Separate-Vote Requirement
The Montana Supreme Court reversed the Attorney General’s rejection of a ballot initiative banning corporate political spending, ruling that the measure does not violate the state constitution's separate-vote requirement.
SCOTUS Debates Removal Eligibility for Green Card Holders Accused of Crimes
The Supreme Court heard oral argument Wednesday in Blanche v. Lau, addressing how immigration officers classify lawful permanent residents accused of crimes that could trigger removal from the country.
Sixth Circuit Holds Shooting of Unarmed, Mentally Ill Man Violated Clearly Established Law
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for a deputy who shot an unarmed, mentally ill man, holding that his right not to be shot under such circumstances was clearly established.
Federal Court Dismisses Takings Claim in Pigeon Forge Condemnation Case, Allows Civil Rights Claims to Proceed
A federal judge dismissed a public-use Takings Clause claim in a dispute over the condemnation of a Tennessee property but allowed civil rights conspiracy and First Amendment retaliation claims to proceed against private defendants.
Tenth Circuit Holds Colorado's Unserialized Firearm Possession Ban Is Not a Presumptively Constitutional Condition on Commercial Sales
The Tenth Circuit reversed the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction against Colorado’s law prohibiting the possession and sale of unserialized firearms, holding that the regulation does not qualify as a presumptively constitutional condition...
Eighth Circuit Upholds Iowa's Enhanced Trespass Penalties for Recording, Rejecting Animal-Advocacy Group's First Amendment Challenge
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an as-applied First Amendment challenge to Iowa’s trespass-surveillance statute, ruling that the law can be constitutionally applied to animal-advocacy groups who intentionally record themselves trespassing on...
Third Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Damages Claim in Parental Rights vs. Transgender Student Policy Case
The Third Circuit reversed the dismissal of a mother’s damages claim against a Pennsylvania school district over its policy prohibiting staff from disclosing a student’s transgender status to parents without consent.
Arkansas Justices Revive Illegal-Exaction Challenge to DWI Probation Fees, Toss State Civil-Rights Claim
A fractured Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that sovereign immunity does not bar a Garland County man's illegal-exaction challenge to the monthly "probation fees" imposed on him after two DWI convictions, while dismissing his parallel claim under the...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Protective Order on Afghan Evacuees as Permissible Prior Restraint
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court’s protective order prohibiting defendants from disclosing the identities of Afghan evacuees, holding that the content-based prior restraint survives strict scrutiny to protect national security interests.
Washington Foster Parents' First Amendment Challenge to LGBTQ+ Affirmation Licensing Rule Survives Dismissal
A federal judge in the Western District of Washington held that Christian foster parents who received a restricted license after refusing to use a child's preferred pronouns stated plausible First Amendment claims against the state's foster-care licensing...
Montana Supreme Court Rules Students Have Due Process Rights in School Extracurricular Activities, Finds MHSA Procedures Fell Short
The Montana Supreme Court held that high school students have constitutionally protected interests in extracurricular activities and that the Montana High School Association failed to provide a Colstrip basketball player with the minimum procedural due...
Louisiana Teacher's Pre-Enforcement Challenge to Ten Commandments Classroom Display Law Dismissed as Unripe
A federal judge in New Orleans dismissed a history teacher's First Amendment challenge to Louisiana's law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, holding that the claims are not yet ripe for adjudication under the Fifth Circuit's...