Albuquerque’s civil asset forfeiture program declared unconstitutional (Constitution news round-up)

14A Presumption of Innocence – Albuquerque’s civil asset forfeiture program declared unconstitutional; gov’t attorneys caught on tape calling it a “gold mine”
https://freebeacon.com/issues/federal-judge-declares-albuquerques-vehicle-seizure-program-unconstitutional/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=126b21d20e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_02_12_18_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-126b21d20e-45628225
 
2A: NRA sues NY Governor for denying First Amendment speech rights (Query: does urging banks not to deal w/NRA burden fundamental rights? ‘Burden’ argument often made in abortion cases.)
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2018/08/06/nra-says-gov-cuomo-cost-them-millions-with-lawsuit-n2507176
 
5A,9A: Supreme Court greenlights climate change case, but warns not to let it get out of hand. Constitutional right to a “sustainable environment”? Sure.
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/02/kennedy-retires-supreme-court-lets-climate-change-case-proceed/
 
14A Due Process: federal appeals court OKs challenge to California’s felony murder statute; “inherently dangerous felony” unconstitutionally vague? (argument helped by Gorsuch opinion in 2018 immigration case)
http://www.libertylawsite.org/2018/06/12/gorsuch-tries-unsucessfully-to-restore-the-contract-clause/

1A Religion: motion to dismiss in Detroit female genital mutilation case to be heard next month.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/08/06/genital-mutilation-case-doctor/910764002/
 
1A: left-wing professors’ association starts resistance group to attack state laws guaranteeing free speech on campus
https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/29707-university-professors-join-forces-to-kill-1st-amendment-on-campus
 
1A: Liberty High School in Oregon gives up fight against student it barred from wearing Trump t-shirt; pays $25,000 and apologizes
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/07/26/school-district-provides-25k-apology-to
 
Dems circulating authoritarian proposals to regulate the Internet under the guise of fighting Russian interference.
http://bwcentral.org/2018/08/senate-democrats-are-circulating-fascist-plans-for-an-unconstitutional-government-takeover-of-the-internet/
 
Shame! Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls for social media to ban all sites ‘spreading hate and lies’ because ‘survival of democracy’ depends on it. No, our Republic depends on the survival of free speech.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/survival-of-our-democracy-depends-on-banning-sites-like-infowars-democratic-senator-says
 
SPLC amps up war on free speech, condemns Constitution and free speech that inspires people, for example, to shoot up the Family Research Council and attempt to kill Congresmen on a baseball field. Oops! #SweepYourOwnDoorstep
https://www.splcenter.org/news/2018/08/02/weekend-read-when-constitution-just-pretext-and-%E2%80%9Cfree-speech%E2%80%9D-being-defended-threat
 
1A Free Press: courts generally uphold videotaping of police officers in public, but what about haranguing a mail carrier?
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/04/videorecording-public-servants-in-public
 
1A Free Press: New Jersey to spend millions to prop up small struggling newspapers; bad move. #ShadesOfPravda
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/08/06/new-jersey-budgets-5m-to-prop-up-community-newspapers/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWWpBMVpETXpZMlV5WWpRMyIsInQiOiJUZ3ZWZXNGWWxQTlFKXC9ZRlc3NHZOM2FhencxWTBBRlJUcU9iK2tIVkdGeWl5NWFpS1lrdFpMbXFwR1pEMzRnRmZNSGFqTENMTlE0S3pJNitseU1VNVpCVXpycEhleVJ2MHMzd0JuQzRaVWVJcEdES0JUenNxR2tpR21CYnRlQXoifQ%3D%3D
 
1A: 28 states ask Supreme Court to uphold 40-foot cross honoring World War I vets (would they feel the same way if it were a 40-foot star-and-crescent?)
https://freebeacon.com/culture/fight-cross-honoring-wwi-veterans-broad-impact-memorials-nationwide/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=efeb4cd7f4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-efeb4cd7f4-45628225

2A: “Building a Church Safety/Security Team: Keeping Your People Safe and Secure in 2018”  WATCH BELOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H63Iyb1chrU&feature=youtu.be
 
4A: Michigan Supreme Court orders trial court to determine whether practice of photographing and fingerprinting people ‘as needed’ without probable cause violates the Fourth Amendment.
http://courts.mi.gov/Courts/MichiganSupremeCourt/Clerks/Recent%20Opinions/17-18%20Term%20Opinions/156057-8.pdf
 
Eminent Domain: Government pushes ahead with plans to change constitution to allow seizure of land from white people without compensation. Then I realized I was trapped in one of Justice Ginsberg’s dreams.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-politics-land/south-africas-anc-to-amend-constitution-to-allow-land-expropriation-idUSKBN1KL2VN

9A: This might be the first rally for the Ninth Amendment in history, but El Paso demonstrators are sadly mistaken in thinking it guarantees their “right to be happy”
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/el-pasoans-gather-in-san-jacinto-plaza-for-march-for-our-rights

10A: why is it the party out of power always discovers the virtues of federalism? California agitating for its right to impose stricter auto emission standards than the feds (thereby dictating what the rest of the country will drive?)
https://www.nysun.com/national/states-rights-emerges-as-slogan-of-the-left/90347/

13A: whether banning hate crimes is a good idea or not, the Thirteenth Amendment doesn’t get you there, brief argues. 13A confers no power to uproot ‘incidents’ of slavery.
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/07/26/metcalf-v-united-states-gives-the-suprem

14A Equal Protection: article argues against Obama-era claim that 1965 regs give Department of Education all-purpose authority to go after all school actions having disparate impact on minorities
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/08/the-department-of-educations-obama-era-i

14A: U.S. court orders New Orleans to give criminal defendants a ‘neutral forum’ to prove they can’t pay fines or fees before throwing them in jail for unpaid amounts
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_92c18cda-9754-11e8-8ab4-d326e5f47bbc.html

14A Due Process: U.S. appeals court declares Louisiana statute banning the threatening of public employees with lawsuits or complaints unconstitutionally overbroad
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/07/can-it-be-a-crime-to-intimidate-police-o

Article II: lawsuit alleges Trump’s actions on Obamacare amount to a failure to faithfully execute the laws
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-undermining-obamacare-violates-constitution-new-lawsuit-charges-n896626

Chevron Deference: Supreme Court is asked to take case to rein in judicial deference granted to agencies to interpret statutes; FCC changed its mind 3 times as to what a federal law means
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/08/01/this-case-presents-perfect-opportunity-for-courts-to-push-back-on-federal-agencies/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTlRNM05qRmxOR1UxT0dWaSIsInQiOiJWcVZJOFFpeXBPNk8ycmExc2hZZ3VWK2EwcWpHd0h6UXlLS3F1ZlpnaGpQcE1pQ3lFY3ZQd0hQS1NTNDJIN0pxY09tazJVQzEyXC9qVWdMdUxqZ1NuVEVpb3VHc05MQzVBNFc2TlNlQUVTdGlramZtckdsRlNVWW9zZld4RkgxU0wifQ%3D%3D

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) seen as enabling big companies to steal the work of inventors; one problem is looser rules than in court; abolition and reforms proposed
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/30/why-the-patent-trial-and-appeal-board-must-be-rein/

WATCH BELOW - Short video explains the problems with federal trial courts issuing nationwide injunctions that go way beyond the parties to a case; dueling injunctions one such problem
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/02/national-injunctions-an-animated-explain

U.S. appeals court agrees with blocking Trump from cutting sanctuary city funding in California, but knocks down nationwide injunction
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2018/08/01/sf-wins-sanctuary-fight-against-trump-but-court-tosses-national-injunction/?slreturn=20180708115318

State Constitution / Economic Freedom: doctor sues to overturn North Carolina’s Certificate of Need law as unconstitutional monopoly interfering with his ability to offer MRIs for less
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/31/17629526/mri-cost-certificate-of-need-north-carolina-lawsuit

Rule of Law: “Anarchy Breaks Out in Portland, With the Mayor’s Blessing - A vicious mob targeted the ICE office and even a food cart. The police followed orders to do nothing.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/anarchy-breaks-out-in-portland-with-the-mayors-blessing-1533331454

14A Equal Protection: Portland mayor denies he violated Constitution when city failed to respond to 911 calls from ICE agents during protest
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/special-reports/at-the-border/mayor-wheeler-fires-back-after-ice-union-alleges-he-violated-constitution/283-578779506

Federal government did not assert control over immigration policy until the late 19th Century, and proceeded on thin constitutional authority
https://www.eurasiareview.com/04082018-more-evidence-us-constitution-does-not-mandate-federal-control-of-immigration-oped/

“Former Prosecutor KrisAnne Hall Warns of Constitutional Ignorance”
https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/29698-alex-newman-krisanne-hall-red-pill-expo-warns-constitutional-ignorance

NY reverses course, restores U.S. flagpoles to highways after veterans complain
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/07/18/highway-flagpoles-up-again-after-veterans-complain-about-removal/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CapitolBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWkdFeFltVTROV1l5TVdSaSIsInQiOiJtU0dPZUR5Q0VXc1c5b0ZrWExsSnh4aHZKdjUyK0V3R0pSRzBKcDJ6cWNacW5LTFB5M0ZUZ0Qrc2twb0NOOE5UTitZUFc0RnVIV1ZNUWRcL0tlaGFiR3ZCRmRaTFVYVU5UMSswYnZ5eHVkQjJJUTFTOEFYdEt4RXVlMXFKMU5lSDIifQ%3D%3D