The Supreme Court has granted Texas the ability to use a redrawn congressional map that could add up to five Republican-friendly districts. This decision overturned a lower court’s ruling that deemed the new map unlawful due to potential racial gerrymandering, sparking dissent from the court’s liberal justices. The ruling allows the map to be used in next year’s elections, despite the lower court finding that Texas likely sorted voters based on race. This decision is part of a larger, nationwide battle over redistricting, impacting efforts to secure Republican control in the House and potentially affecting the outcome of the midterm elections.
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court will directly hear a case brought by the ACLU on behalf of an immigrant rights group challenging the legality of local jails holding immigrant detainees at the request of federal authorities. The court, controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, will expedite the process, potentially reaching a final ruling by mid-2026. The lawsuit, filed against five county sheriffs, argues that honoring ICE detainers, which extend detention beyond state law requirements, constitutes illegal arrests. The ACLU contends that this practice, which has seen over 700 requests in the first seven months of the year, violates Wisconsin law, while the sheriffs maintain their actions are lawful within the existing framework.
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Costco has sued the Trump administration to recoup tariffs paid this year and prevent future collection, citing a potential loss of funds even if the Supreme Court rules against the duties. The lawsuit addresses a looming December 15 deadline concerning tariff liquidation and the potential for refunds. The suit emphasizes that even if the Supreme Court invalidates the tariffs, Costco needs separate judicial relief to secure a refund. Dozens of other companies have also filed similar suits contesting the legality of the tariffs.
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The Supreme Court is currently reviewing cases concerning the power of the President to remove officials from independent agencies. These cases involve disputes over firings from the Library of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Reserve. One case revolves around a former Library of Congress official who claimed she was part of the legislative branch, making her firing unlawful. The court has allowed some removals to proceed while others remain in question as the court continues to deliberate.
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The Tokyo High Court has upheld Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage, declaring the current civil law provisions constitutional, a stance unique among high court rulings on the matter. The court reasoned that the traditional marriage system aids in child-rearing and that the Constitution’s freedom of marriage does not extend to same-sex couples, while also expressing concern over the lack of parliamentary progress. This decision contrasts with previous rulings from other Japanese courts that found the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage unconstitutional, although these rulings rejected compensation claims. With the plaintiffs planning an appeal, a unified decision from the Supreme Court is anticipated in the coming year.
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More than 220 judges rejecting the Trump administration’s mass detention policy is a significant number, and it speaks volumes about the extent to which the policy was deemed problematic. It highlights the widespread concern among the judiciary that the policy was likely an overreach, or perhaps simply unjust. When so many judges, from different jurisdictions and likely with varying political leanings, come to the same conclusion, it’s hard to dismiss it as a fringe opinion or an outlier case. The implication is clear: the administration’s approach to immigration detention, and potentially its broader immigration policies, was seen as excessively harsh, possibly illegal, and certainly not in line with established legal norms.… Continue reading
A case before the Supreme Court challenges the U.S. Postal Service’s exemption from lawsuits regarding lost or mishandled mail, stemming from a Texas landlord’s claim of deliberate mail withholding. The Postal Service argues a ruling against them could trigger a flood of litigation, particularly impacting the already busy holiday season. The central question is whether the postal exemption to the Federal Tort Claims Act applies when postal employees intentionally fail to deliver mail, with the lower court previously disagreeing with the exemption. A decision in the case is expected to be issued next year.
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The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked former President Trump’s attempt to remove Shira Perlmutter from her position as Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, deferring a decision until it reviews related cases. The court cited cases involving the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve, where Trump’s removal of officials is under scrutiny. This decision comes after a lower court ruled Perlmutter is part of the legislative branch, making her removal only possible by a Senate-confirmed Librarian of Congress. The Trump administration argued the decision contravenes established precedent, emphasizing the Register of Copyright’s executive functions, like foreign government meetings.
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Alito pauses lower court ruling that would have blocked Texas redistricting, and it’s certainly generating a lot of buzz, and, let’s be honest, a lot of frustration. The immediate reaction seems to be a blend of “Well, color me surprised” and outright anger, especially considering the timing of this decision. The core of the issue is that a lower court had already ruled against Texas’s redrawn electoral maps, and now, Justice Alito has stepped in to put that ruling on hold, at least temporarily.
The swiftness of Alito’s action, a pause, has raised eyebrows. Some see this as a blatant attempt to protect Texas’s redistricting efforts, even if those efforts are legally questionable.… Continue reading
A panel of federal judges has blocked Texas from using its newly drawn congressional map, ordering the state to revert to its previous map from 2021. The ruling, signed by Judge Jeffrey Brown, cited evidence of racial gerrymandering in the new map, which was drawn by Republicans. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced an appeal to the Supreme Court, setting up a major legal battle that could impact control of the House of Representatives. This decision, which favors the NAACP and other voting rights advocates, comes as candidate filing periods for the upcoming election are underway.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood