Rule of Law

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Rule of law is a principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are:

https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/overview-rule-law

"...government actions evidence a clear and disconcerting pattern. If a court issues a decision this administration does not agree with, the judge is targeted. If a lawyer represents parties in a dispute with the administration, or if a lawyer represents parties the administration does not like, lawyers are targeted. ... These actions highlight escalating governmental efforts to interfere with fair and impartial courts, the right to counsel and due process, and the freedoms of speech and association in our country.

High-ranking government officials (appointed and elected) have made repeated calls for the impeachment of judges who issue opinions with which the government does not agree. There have been calls to impeach “corrupt judges” with no effort to produce evidence of the so called “corruption.” These have been directed only at judges who have ruled against the government position."

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/03/aba-rejects-efforts-to-undermine-courts-and-legal-profession/

"Instead, we see wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity.

We have seen attempts at wholesale dismantling of departments and entities created by Congress without seeking the required congressional approval to change the law. There are efforts to dismiss employees with little regard for the law and protections they merit, and social media announcements that disparage and appear to be motivated by a desire to inflame without any stated factual basis. This is chaotic. It may appeal to a few. But it is wrong. And most Americans recognize it is wrong. It is also contrary to the rule of law."

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/02/aba-supports-the-rule-of-law/

"... we can say with certainty that DOJ’s actions are corrupt. What used to be DOJ’s independence from political interference is now just a pile of ashes."

The corrupt use of Justice's levers of power

Equally enforced

Anyone committing a crime on behalf of Trump can feel confident they will not be prosecuted, or if prosecuted, will be pardoned

"Dempsey then repeatedly attacked police in the lower West Terrace tunnel for more than an hour, throwing poles and deploying bear spray at the line of officers protecting the Capitol. He used bear spray directly inside the mask of one officer, who testified that he thought he might die, and used a crutch to smash another officer’s head, giving him a concussion." Tom Jackman, Washingon Post

David Dempsey did this for Trump. He was pardoned.

Trackers

Just Security

Politicization and Weaponization of Justice Department

Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions

Democracy2025

NYT: Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda

The dozens of lawsuits fall into these categories.

AP: Tracking the lawsuits against Donald Trump’s executive actions

Timeline

April 17

Federal Judges Continue to Denounce Trump

April 16

Judge Finds Cause to Hold Trump Admin In Contempt

April 14

Despite SCOTUS Ruling, Trump Admin Refuses to Return Man It Wrongly Sent to Salvadoran Prison

April 11

SCOTUS Orders Trump Administration to “Facilitate” Return of Wrongly Deported Man

April 10

Trump Orders Probe Against Officials Who Opposed His Election Lies

April 8

Supreme Court Hides Behind Ridiculous Procedural Argument To Allow Human Trafficking To Continue

April 7

‘This is a Path of Perfect Lawlessness’: Court Condemns Trump Over Wrongful Deportation

When Good People Make A Mistake They Try To Fix It; If They Don’t, They’re Not Good People

April 6

Judge to Trump: Yes, You Really Do Have to Undo ‘Lawless’ Deportation to El Salvador

April 4

Who Knew You Could Press A Snooze Button On The Law?

April 2

The Corruption Case Against Eric Adams Has Been Dropped … With Prejudice

April 1

The Lawless Evil Of Denying Due Process

March 31

Lawyers Last Chance To Pick Which Side Of History They Want To Be On

An Unfortunate Update: DOGE Dodges An Injunction

An ‘Administrative Error’ Sends a Maryland Father to a Salvadoran Prison

March 28

ICE Arrested And Detained A US Citizen For Hours Because He Looked Mexican

Trump Defends Fraudster He Pardoned: 'He Supported Trump'

Trump Suffers Day of Losses in His Retribution Campaign Against Law Firms

March 27

Trump’s Secret Police Are Now Disappearing Students For Their Op-Eds

We Study Repression in Turkey. Now We See It Here.

Trump Continues Tanking Civil Rights In Hopes Of Scoring A First-Round Autocracy In The Next Election

Even If Those Weren’t War Plans In Hegseth’s Signal Chat, They Were War Crimes

March 26

Lawsuit Filed Over The Bombing The Houthis Group Chat

Trump’s actions are an attempt to tilt the scales of justice by using the raw power of government coercion—and they’re working

Signalgate: violating national security in order to violate rights

Mike Johnson Suggests Eliminating Federal Courts After Trump Rulings Blocked

March 25

Contempt Continued: Rubio, Bondi Attempt To Stonewall Court Inquiry With Bullshit ‘State Secrets’ Response

Trump Officials Share War Plans With Journalist

FBI Shifts Resources From Tracking The Terrorists Trump Likes To Pitching In With Anti-Immigration Efforts

March 24

Contempt Of Court

The Judiciary’s Last Stand

Judges Rip Trump Officials Over Deportation Flights

Americans Are Living in Trump’s Dream

March 21

It’s A Start: Musk And DOGE Take Their First Real Hit

Why DOGE Having Your Social Security Data Is Dangerous

March 20

Court Blocks Musk, DOGE’s Social Security Data Grab

March 19

Trump Illegally Purges FTC’s Democratic Commissioners, Gutting What’s Left Of Agency Independence

A Guide to Trump's Fascist Presidency -- From Ignoring Judge to Erasing History

March 18

'Move Fast': Inside Team Trump's Furious Defiance of the Courts

A Tipping Point at the Department of Justice

The sitting president traveled to the Justice Department and accused the press of breaking the law by criticizing him. Brad Heath

Judge Says DOGE’s Dismantling of USAID Likely Unconstitutional

Judge Blocks Trump's Efforts to Ban Transgender Troops From Military Service

March 17

When the Rule of Law Becomes Optional

The evil at your door

March 16

Rubio Touts Migrants Sent to El Salvador After Judge Orders Planes Return

Brown University Professor Is Deported Despite a Judge’s Order

Trump administration ramps up rhetoric targeting the courts amid mounting legal setbacks

March 15

What Is It, Exactly, That Being an American Means to You?

March 14

The president has routinely lashed out at judges, and his White House team keeps doing so now

March 13

Judge To Trump: No, You Can’t Just Declare 'Off With Their Heads'

Judge Orders Trump Administration to Give Federal Workers Their Jobs Back

Trump Family Has Reportedly Explored Cashing in on Controversial Crypto Exchange

IRS swaps its chief counsel for a lawyer friendly with DOGE

Judge demands ‘some kind of evidence’ from Trump’s EPA to halt climate grants

March 12

“This is certainly the biggest affront to the legal profession in my lifetime”

Trump and Musk are building a new spoils system

Trump Pardons Ex-Tennessee State Senator Imprisoned for Campaign Fraud

Explainer on First Amendment and Due Process Issues in Deportation of Pro-Palestinian Student Activist(s)

March 11

Trump’s Latest Weapon Against Critics: Destroying Their Lawyers

Trump’s Suspension of USAID Funding Likely Violated Constitution, Judge Rules

Trump Officials Are ‘Pretending’ a Judge Didn’t Bar His Anti-Diversity Orders

March 10

Trump’s systematic attack on the apolitical norms and ethical guides that govern all prosecutors has been nothing short of jaw-dropping

Fired After Opposing Restoring Mel Gibson’s Gun Rights

March 9

Agents told him his student visa was revoked. But he had a green card. Agents then said that was revoked too.

A Troubling Escalation

March 7

There is nothing supreme about this Court. It is an instrument of minority rule and a legal arm of the billionaire class. If we fail to confront this reality, we may never get our democracy back.

Trump flouted judge by canceling Seattle Children’s grant, WA AG says

Federal prosecutors who investigated Eric Adams put on leave by Justice Department: Sources

Trans women transferred to men’s prisons despite rulings against Trump’s order

March 6

Trump Violated Federal Law in Removing Labor Board Chair, Judge Finds

Trump’s Funding Freeze Violated Separation of Powers, Judge Rules

Ed Martin wages war on the rule of law from within

March 5

SCOTUS Denies Trump’s Request to Lift Order Requiring Release of $1.5 Billion in Foreign Aid

Trump tried to steal the 2020 election. He shows no sign that he would accept a loss in the future

The conservative justices are frequently accomplices to Trump’s assault on democracy

February 24

One of the first things President Donald Trump did was fire all the lawyers.

February 21

‘Constitutional Crisis’ Is an Understatement

February 20

Is That Legal? A Guide to Trump’s Big Moves So Far.

February 15

Trump Publicly Admits He Thinks He Can Break Any Law He Wants

February 7

The Week in Musk: "This is our shot"

January 30

Trump's Driving Legal Principle This Time: 'What Are You Gonna Do About It?'

... updating and going back as time permits ...

Published with Nuclino