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9 versus 1

It looked like a scene from Batman. The supposed leader of the free world buddying up to Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, who likes to be known as “the world’s coolest dictator.” The Oval Office looked warm and inviting; two friends catching up after too long. Juxtaposed with the bullying that took place when another, heroic President stopped by, the warmth quickly gave way to a chill.

While any flag-loving American should shake their head at “cool” and “dictator” landing in the same sentence, Donald J. Trump doesn’t seem to mind. He admires Bukele, just like he does Orban and Putin. In a vacuum, it’s a terrifying prospect. But in the context of a unanimous Supreme Court decision, it’s a dangerous reality.

Today, President Trump just chose 1 foreign dictator over 9 United States Supreme Court Justices. Let me type that out once more.

Today, President Trump just chose 1 foreign dictator over 9 United States Supreme Court Justices.

Trump Administration Makes Excuses

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld a district court’s Order to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident whom the Trump administration admitted to deporting due to an administrative error. However, SCOTUS also called into question the Court’s order to “effectuate” his return, noting that the district court should clarify its order “with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”

While the Trump administration focuses on the text’s mention of deference (versus effectuation), it turns a willfully blind eye to the Order itself. After all, SCOTUS wrote that U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s order “properly requires the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” SCOTUS also confirmed that the government “should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”

In other words, the highest court in the land ordered its Executive to both facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from El Salvador and to get him home. The deference due to the executive branch is for how – not whether – they follow the Court’s Order.

Amended Order

Following SCOTUS’s remand back to the district court, a modified Order directed the Trump administration to take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible. In other words, the Court left it up to the Executive to ascertain the availability of certain steps. Yet, underlying the district court’s Order is a premise shared by the SCOTUS Order as well: the government must try in good faith to fix its mistake in the deportation of Abrego Garcia.

A Cackle at the Constitution

Trump and his enablers are not trying, in good faith or otherwise, to return Abrego Garcia to the US. The meeting was not for that purpose; Bukele told reporters he would not return Abrego Garcia to the United States. Lest we chalk up a foreign President’s defiance to Trump’s dismal negotiation skills, we are reminded that the meeting was an intentional, in-your-face moment in which Bukele defied the Judiciary, but not the President. In fact, he made the President very proud. Trump took the face-to-face meeting with the El Salvador President to signal that he is on Team Cool Dictator, and against Team Democracy.

Next up for this President? “Home-growns”, or US citizens, who he asked Bukele to take in. “You gotta build about 5 more places. It’s not big enough.”

May the federal judges continue serving under Oath in the face of an Executive who betrays it.

Bad judges? No. Bad law firm? Yes.

I started this blog because I feared the worst: That judges, whom we hold in the highest regard as a country, as a Bar, as officers of the court, would purposely cave to the pressure of an unhinged executive whose only ambition seems to shred the Constitution in favor of a dictatorship.

Thankfully, the opposite has happened. GOOD federal judges are working overtime to bat back multiple attempts by Trump and his supporters to ignore the rule of law in the name of white supremacy. Using a playbook straight from 1938 Germany, this administration is attacking private law firms, long-trusted newspapers and career civil servants. Entire governmental departments have been forced into a quasi-retirement (if you can even call that), after years of devoted service to our nation.

Yes, until today, I had little content to post. There are no bad federal judges at this point. And when the President singled out one federal judge due to the President’s inability to respect a judicial order when it disagrees with his position, the highest judge in this land, Chief Justice Roberts, issued an unprecedented response that appeals, not impeachment, is the appropriate path forward. It seems that even a justice who is willing to give a president full immunity for his actions while in public office could not tolerate the idea that both the individual and his initiatives could proceed without any accountability.

Don’t get too comfortable

Unfortunately, there is some negative news to report. In the legal world, few firms are as storied, and well regarded, as Paul, Weiss. As a practicing attorney, and former law firm lawyer, I can tell you how smart and hardworking the individuals at this firm are. Yet, their leadership has failed them and in doing so failed our country. This week, in the face of an executive order by Trump that effectively took work away from the firm, stripping them of security clearances and banning them from federal buildings, the firm caved. There is a saying among litigators: you do not negotiate against yourself. Paul, Weiss didn’t even get that far. It simply made a deal adverse to its biggest interest of all: a strong judiciary.

We should all be very disturbed by this news. Dictators thrive in environments in which they can hold power through punishment. Law firms exist to guard against this type of bad actor, holding the mirror of justice up and reflecting the truth of what is legal and right.

In Paul, Weiss, we see an enabler of the worst kind. One who not only knows better, but has the privilege, the education and the law licenses to do better. I fear this will make the lawyer jokes even meaner. Who will trust the Bar when it can be bought?

The Kids are Alright (For Now)

Another week, another bully pulpit true to its name. Amidst the chaos of Unconstitutional deportations, funding freezes, and more, the Trump administration continues its attack on some of the most vulnerable among us: children. Specifically, Trans kids, who currently fear for their lives as the adults turn their backs on them, and as they become the latest focus of a hateful Administration, despite their population hovering at less than 1% of the US.

On January 28, 2025, Trump signed an Executive Order titled, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” The title along is misinformation, and the Order calls lifesaving gender-affirming care “mutilation,” and falls on myth, not facts, to make its points:

“Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions.”

“Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding.”

“The blatant harm done to children by chemical and surgical mutilation cloaks itself in medical necessity, spurred by guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which lacks scientific integrity.”

Enter the Federal Judiciary

In a suit brought by Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (“PFLAG”), the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted a TRO on February 13, 2025, blocking the Trump Administration from “blocking or withholding federal funding on the fact that a healthcare entity or health professional provides gender affirming medical care to a patient under the age of nineteen[.]”

As a reminder, TROs are for emergencies, where there is a “likelihood of irreparable harm” without them. Accrordingly, they are not permanent orders; in fact, they last 14 days. Essentially, they stop the bleeding until the Courts can figure out the issue.

In its Order, the Court requires the Trump Administration to provide notice to its agencies of the Order, and to provide a status report to the Court, confirming its compliance with the Order “on or before February 20, 2025.”

A Second Federal Judge Agrees

On February 14, a second federal judge issued an injunction regarding the same Executive Order. The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington reviewed a complaint brought by Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota, as well as anonymous doctors and patients. Judge Lauren King granted the TRO. While the Order is short and sweet, as reported by the Washington State Standard, Judge King observed from the bench the Executive Order is unlikely to withstand “constitutional scrutiny.”

Indeed, halting lifesaving care should violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In the background of these extraordinary, emergency judicial actions, U.S. v. Skrmetti looms. The case, pending with the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) since oral argument this past December, is expected to be decided in June 2025, and poses the question: Is it Constitutional to permit states to deny care to Transgender youth?

To read an analysis of Skrmetti, check out UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute.

Judges Continue to Serve

Today, I shopped at Costco. Like many of us, I am new to the club; I joined when the Progressive stars aligned: Target showed its cowardice, pulling back on important DEI initiatives, and workers at King Soopers (my local grocery store) went on strike, alleging unfair labor practices.

Employment lawyer moms don’t put up with that type of crap.

As I waited to turn into the parking lot, a group of protesters caught my eye. There they were, 20 or so sign-holding citizens, freezing as the snow pelleted them. As I wondered, “What are they doing in this suburban intersection?” I saw the store behind their group. Tesla.

My son and I promptly bought them those delicious Costco Madeleine cakes and drove them over after our shopping adventure. The signs read, “FIRE PRESIDENT MUSK.” They cheered, we thanked them, and a large SUV honked at me for having my hazards on.

Fascist.

The protestors are doing great work; after all, our current administration only cares about the mighty dollar. After what seems like a lifetime of marching, I am rethinking their efficacy with this Administration. I’ll still go, of course, but I am convinced that you can’t march away psychopathy. Might as well help drain some bank accounts.

While the good citizens of Superior, Colorado, inspired me to fight harder, I continue to view the courts to be our last line of defense.

Another Frenetic Week

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Trump administration trying and failing to make an argument that a Judicial Order is overreach because they lost. This attack on the Constitution (call it what it is, folks!) continues.

On Thursday, a federal judge in Washington D.C. reviewed Trump’s freeze after two health organizations, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coaliition and Global health Council, brought suit. Judge Amir Ali of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the administration to restore the funds. In response to the Administration’s justification for the freeze, the Court wrote:

Here, the stated purpose in implementing the suspension of all foreign aid is to provide the opportunity to review programs for their efficiency and consistency with priorities. However, at least to date, Defendants have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, which set off a shockwave and upended reliance interests for thousands of agreements with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations around the country, was a rational precursor to reviewing programs.

When considering a TRO, the Court must address the potential for “irreparable harm.” The Court pointed to the Plaintiffs’ evidence of harm to both vulnerable populations around the world (including children who receive Malaria vaccines) and American businesses.

In the end, the Court granted the TRO, but made a point to explain that it would be narrower in scope than the Plaintiffs requested. The Court explained that the TRO does not “enjoin the President’s or Secretary of State’s of purpose or policy, nor does the Court enjoin any aspect of the Government’s ability to conduct a comprehensive internal review of government programs.” Specifically addressing the Plaintiffs’ request that the Court order the Trump administration not to fire, furlough, etc. personnel administering the programs and funds at issue, the Court provided Trump with the smallest amount of comfort: the Plaintiffs cannot control the method by which the Administration complies with the TRO.

Plaintiffs appear to be including such language to ensure meaningful compliance with the Court’s order; however, directives as to such specific operational details are overbroad in the absence of evidence of non-compliance. As specified below, it is sufficient to order Defendants to take all necessary steps to carry out the Court’s order.

To some, this might feel like a win for Trump. To me, it feels like a warning. If you read closely, the Court is merely letting the Plaintiffs and the rest of America know that the judiciary expects compliance.

And what if they don’t comply? Well, we’ll see them back in court after February 18, 2025, when Judge Ali ordered them to file a status report “apprising the Court of the status of their compliance with this order[.]”

The President’s Excuses v. The Court

As Trump’s goons continue their attempt to intimidate the judiciary, the judges are fighting back. Actually, that’s not quite accurate. Judges don’t need to fight or even file claims. Judges simply rule. And yesterday, Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. of the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, ruled that his prior Temporary Restraining Order (TRO, for short) was an actual, bonafide judicial order and not a mere suggestion.

What happened?

Just a couple days ago, the Court ordered the Trump Administration to un-freeze the frozen federal funding (how’s that for an alliteration?), on the grounds that “Federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB Memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.” The Court found sufficient evidence that such an emergency action was necessary (i.e., evidence showed that a blanket, abrupt end to federal funding causes irreparable harm and is, most likely, unconstitutional).

Then what happened?

The Defendants, including Trump and various administrators he hand-selected, such as real-life Cruella de Vil Kristi (the “i” is pronounced like the “e” in “evil”) Noem, IGNORED THE ORDER. Yep, they kept freezing the funds.

Folks, I have been in court when negligent fathers don’t show up with $212 in child support; the judges are livid. And have you ever attempted to evade a juror summons? I hope not, because you will go to jail.

In other words, ignoring a Court order is NOT NORMAL. And the states knew it, and they filed a motion to enforce the order.

NOW what’s gonna happen?

It’s unclear what happens next, but Judge McConnell wrote a five-page opinion setting expectations:

First, the Court acknowledged the TRO was “plain in its language.”

In other words, even lawyers willing to defend Trump can read.

Second, the Court acknowledged the Defendant’s excuse (“rooting out fraud”), and quickly shut it down, writing, “But the freezes in effect now were a result of the broad categorial order, not a specific finding of possible fraud.” The Court also offered the Defendants an opportunity to request “targeted relief from the TRO” if they can show “a specific instance where they are acting in compliance with this Order but otherwise withholding funds due to specific authority.”

In other words, don’t gaslight the Court.

Third, the Court acknowledged that the freezing of funds “continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.”

In other words, Mr. President, Goons … your pig has lipstick on it.

Finally (and this is the best part!), the Court acknowledged that nobody … not the President, not Kristi, not Elon, and not the people Elon paid to be his friends and late-night Fascist Hackathoners, is above the law, citing one case, Maness v. Meyers:

[It is a] basic proposition that all orders and judgments of courts must be complied with promptly. … Persons who make private
determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt even if the order is ultimately ruled incorrect. The orderly and expeditious administration of justice by the courts requires
that an order issued by a court with jurisdiction over the subject matter and person must be obeyed by the parties until it is reversed by orderly and proper proceedings.

The highlight is mine, but the choice of precedent was the Court’s.

Stay tuned.

Update: As of late Tuesday, the Trump administration continues to push on this issue. Trump’s Department of Justice appealed Judge McConnell’s order, asking that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals place it on hold (in other words, will you temporarily restrain my temporary restraining order?)

The Court of Appeals declined.

A Constitutional Crisis.

Well, it’s finally happened. Our nation, great in no small part because of our Constitution, is in crisis because it’s fundamental values are under attack.

Ever since Trump rode his golden escalator down to announce his foray into public life, this nation has been threatened by more than one moronic wannabe dictator.

The threat comes from within. It is the American people’s apathy that threatens the democracy in which we live and on which we depend.

We always knew Trump, Musk and their enablers would work swiftly to dismantle the government. Republicans of today do not believe in small government; they believe in virtually no government. They are public servants on a suicide mission. It was all in the Project 2025 playbook Americans ignored.

But, in an alarming (but predictable) twist, Trump’s administration is now fighting the judiciary, suggesting that compliance with its decisions is somehow optional. The twist is so dangerous, the normally plain-vanilla American Bar Association issued a warning on social media:

If the judiciary is not the final decision-maker, we are left with kingmakers. Let’s hope the American people wake up.

Musk and the “I” Word

SPOILER ALERT: Musk continues to violate the Constitution; eggs are still expensive.

Elon Musk is angry. Yesterday, another pesky federal judge ordered that he and his army of tech bro minions stay away from the highly confidential Treasury Department’s records. This order, another emergency Temporary Restraining Order and the second in one week to deal with Musk’s unprecedented attempt to access confidential financial records (including personal information) of the American People, was a much-needed complement to an earlier order this week, which limited access to two of Musk’s associates deemed “special government employees.”

In the wee hours of February 8, when Musk was likely still sleeping upside-down in a cave, Judge Paul Engelmayer, U.S. District Judge of the Southern District of New York, further limited Musk and his peeps. The delicate records of the Treasury would be limited to “civil servants” with “a need for access” who had “passed all background checks and security clearances and all information security training.”

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Musk’s clown car contains not one individual who fulfills these criteria. For good measure, the court also ordered that any of those folks who had accessed that information “immediately destroy” their copies.

Remember, TROs are not granted for drama or late-night twists. Judges aren’t looking for spontaneity or excitement; if that were the case, they would not have set foot in law school. TROs are granted because the law needs a method to avoid irreparable harm. They can only last 10 days, bridging the gap between the filing of the claim and a full hearing.

In other words, TROs are granted when there’s a true emergency.

Given the gravity of the situation, and the risk of irreparable harm in the face of unknown Muskrats poaching social security numbers and financials, it is no surprise the Court granted the TRO, pending another hearing on Valentine’s Day whereby Musk and Friends will need to show the court why their actions should not be blocked in the form of an injunction pending a trial. In preparation for the February 14 hearing, Judge Engelmayer set February 11 as a deadline for the defendants to file their opposition.

Cue the Tantrum

Predictably, Musk threw a fit, calling for Judge Engelmayer to be “Impeached.” In another post, he called the ruling “absolutely insane!” He also said that the Judge was corrupt and perhaps “protecting scammers“:

How on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent? That’s literally impossible! Something super shady is going to protect scammers.

As a former litigator, I can predict that Trump and Treasury attorneys were not too pleased with this flex by Musk. It’s just not cool to insult the court.

Having said that, if Musk realizes that he can’t stop fraud “on Earth” and decides to move to Mars, that would be a bright spot in this dumpster fire. I know, I know … food and oxygen. Can’t a girl dream?

Another day, another disaster. By the way, Elon, if you want to know “how on Earth” you stop fraud and taxpayer waste while complying with the law, here are a couple of tips:

(1) Use the civil servants who have devoted their lives to the public good, not the private dollar; and

(2) DO NOT dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

More Blocks, More Tackles

Our federal judges continue to make us proud. Just in time for Super Bowl, they may be on the bench (see what I did there?) but they are most certainly in the game.

With 85 executive actions so far, Trump, the President for the Billionaires, is papering the judiciary with a lot of ripe issues which quickly result in requests for relief from individuals with standing (in many cases, that’s nearly all of us … talk about a class action).

In the past 72 hours, we saw federal judges take action! THANK YOU, JUDGES!

  • A federal judge in Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that halts the Executive Order to terminate birthright citizenship for children of immigrants with temporary or undocumented status. By the way, birthright citizenship is not an Obama-era add. It’s literally in the Constitution .. check this out:

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the US, and guarantees equal protection under the law.

  • A second federal judge in Washington State issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on the same Executive Order, adding in his opinion, “The Constitution is not something with which the government may play policy games.”

  • A third federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order delaying the Dumpy Musky (could this catch on?) “Fork in the Road” proposition (aka, in “Friends” parlance, “The One Where the Unethical Narcissists Don’t Keep their Word”) to buy out the entire federal government workforce because … their plan is to make the federal government fail as fast as you can say “Cybertrucks are ugly!”

  • A FOURTH federal judge in D.C. temporarily blocked the Trump/Musk scheme to put at least 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave. In a nod towards efficiency, and maybe because it’s Friday and even judges need a weekend, the order (from the bench, meaning it’s not yet written because time is of essence when it comes to peoples’ livelihoods and actual lives) also limited the “accelerated removal of people from their countries.” Fun fact! Judge Nichols was nominated by Trump. Sorry, Mr. President. Life is complicated.

What’s Next?

As I type this, I am reading about brand new executive orders to “review” gun control policies and establish a “faith” office. Let me speak directly about both.

First, it is rich that Trump plans to review the many protections the Biden Administration ushered in by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major federal gun safety law passed in 30 years (read about its progress here, while the website still exists). After all, just this week, he signed the “Keep Men out of Women’s Sports” law to somehow protect women from the 10 Transgender kids who play among the 500,000 student athletes in the NCAA. Yet, with an average of 76 women shot and killed by an intimate partner every single month, Trump’s obsession with relaxing reasonable gun safety measures is patently anti-women.

Second, a White House Faith Office is OK, I guess, if the idea is to guarantee religious liberty, rather than entangle church and state. Maybe Trump will find Jesus and become a human. However, if the faith office is more like a white Christian office, expect whatever moves they make to draw challenges on, you know, Constitutional grounds.

More soon, I am sure. If you like reading these posts, please pass along badfederaljudge to your friends. So far, I am pleased and proud to report that the judges are anything but bad actors.

Let’s keep an eye on the judiciary and hope it stays that way.

RESIST.

Federal Judge BLOCKS Trump

Last night, a federal judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia temporarily blocked President Trump’s Executive Order attempting to forcefully relocate Transgender women prisoners into federal prisons and remove their access to medical care.

Quick background: Trump signed an Executive Order on January 20, 2025 (yes, that was the first day at work for him) attempting to “ensure that males are not detained in women’s prisons or housed in women’s detention centers, including through amendment, as necessary, of Part 115.41 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations and interpretation guidance regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

There goes reasonable in “reasonable accommodations.”

Additionally, the Executive Order attempts to withhold Federal funds “for any medical, procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.”

YES, this is Unconstitutional. IT IS ALSO BULLYING. Here is the contact info for the Trevor Project if you know anyone in the Transgender community who is struggling.

Transgender prisoners went to Court, seeking a temporary restraining order to block the Executive Order from being enforced. Temporary Restraining Orders (“TROs”, for short) require the movant (in this case, the Transgender prisoners), to show four things: 1) they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims, 2) they are likely to suffer “irreparable harm” unless the TRO is granted, 3) the balance of equities (fairness) favors the granting of the TRO, and 4) a TRO is in the public interest.

If Trump (or Musk, who infamously has no relationship with his Transgender child due to his horrific Daddy-ing and Human-ing) thought an individual by the name of Royce, appointed by Ronald Reagan, would simply cave to Trump’s blatantly illegal Order, they would be wrong.

Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the prisoners met their burden of demonstrating that complying with the Order would place them in “significantly elevated risk of physical and sexual violence,” and that denying the prisoners medical care to treat gender dysphoria could risk “numerous and severe symptoms.” Citing a potential for a “parade of harms” (great name for Musk’s future biography, BTW), Judge Lamberth cites risk of invasive searches by male officers, forced showering in the company of male prisoners, misgendering by name or dress, and health risks arising from withholding medical treatment.

In conclusion, Judge Lamberth ruled that the Order likely violated the Constitution. Specifically, the Eighth Amendment. Yes, that’s the one prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

Expect to see more judges met with allegations that this Administration, cruel and unusual in itself, is attempting to enact laws to match its soulless agenda.

We applaud Judge Lamberth’s ruling and look forward to watching more federal judges make us proud.

#Transgenderrights #Transgender #FederalJudge #TrumpAdministration #prisonerrights #EighthAmendment #8thAmendment

Groundhog Day

Do you remember the 1993 film, Groundhog Day? Bill Murray stars as Phil Connors, a man who keeps experiencing the same day over and over and over again. I was only 12 when I saw the movie, and I absolutely hated it. I was bored and frustrated with the movie’s circular story. Little did I know that it was a preview for the politics of my middle age.

Trump is back, and with him, many of us feel like Phil Connors on Groundhog Day. But it’s not nearly as quaint; our version has dire consequences. This time, the fascists and those who enable them saw Trump’s shadow (what is he but a shadow of a man, really?) and ushered in four more years of hate. They share a mutual, chilling goal of unquestioned power, and their differences are rendered moot in light of it.

As a mother, I can relate to the panic and fear of my fellow Americans.

As a white, heterosexual woman, I can only imagine how those of us in the Black, Brown, LGBTQ, and disability community feel.

As a citizen, I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying it is to be an immigrant, especially those who fled terrorizing or abusive situations with little more than the clothes on their backs.

As an attorney and member of the Bar, I cannot fathom a reality where we let our precious, fragile democracy slip away; that we would hand it over to the oligarchs so they could profit off of us, the US, and then the world, with their only North stars ones you can count.

And yet, people are quieter than ever.

I started this website as my small contribution during these unprecedented times. The internet is fraught, and often the property of the oligarchs, yet it connects us in ways we couldn’t back when I saw Groundhog Day.

Please use this site as a resource and make reports in good faith. While I hope the vast majority of federal judges commit to their oath to uphold the law, we can no longer take it for granted.