Short Circuit

Breaking News: IJ releases Episode 2 of Bound By Oath podcast

WHAT IS SHORT CIRCUIT?

Your concise (and sometimes irreverent) source for important and interesting cases you might otherwise have missed.

Learn More

RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER

Keep current on the federal circuit courts with a weekly email round-up in your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Amp up your commute! Listen to the experts tackle controversial circuit court decisions in our bi-weekly podcast.

Google iTunes Stitcher

Short Circuit Podcast

No Fly List games and no sovereign immunity over Flint’s water crisis or Ferguson’s fines and fees.

WEEK OF January 18, 2019

Newsletters

Desperate circumstances, deceptive edits, and the rule of orderliness.

WEEK OF January 18, 2019

Newsletters

Sovereign immunity, absolute immunity, qualified immunity, and the agora of the digital age.

WEEK OF January 11, 2019

Newsletters

A blind websurfer, an accidental No Fly List designation, and a threat-inducing photocopy.

WEEK OF January 4, 2019

Short Circuit Podcast

Flight risks, using police databases for personal reasons, and a sentencing brouhaha.

WEEK OF December 30, 2018

Newsletters

Tonal tightropes, regulatory time bombs, and a Southern soul music rivalry.

WEEK OF December 28, 2018

Newsletters

Almond milk, pee tests, and the Lorax doctrine.

WEEK OF December 21, 2018

Bound By Oath Podcast

The Fight for the 14th

WEEK OF December 19, 2018

Newsletters

A misleading film, a misleading statistic, and misleading crackers.

WEEK OF December 14, 2018

Newsletters

Body slams, reasonable retaliation, and Russian software.

WEEK OF December 7, 2018

Bound By Oath Podcast

Before the 14th: John Rock and the Birth of Birthright Citizenship

WEEK OF December 4, 2018

Newsletters

Bridge malefactors, mandatory blank reports, and a leaky judge.

WEEK OF November 30, 2018

Newsletters

Covered cheeks, cheeky hyphens, and uncovered booking photos.

WEEK OF November 23, 2018

Newsletters

Civil disgorgement, mild chastisement, and a Third Amendment.

WEEK OF November 16, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Gun permits, debt peonage, a hog farm gag order, and dueling dinosaur fossils.

WEEK OF November 15, 2018

Newsletters

Dinosaur mortal combat, the hose treatment, and the great high school impostor.

WEEK OF November 9, 2018

Newsletters

A barbaric sentence, unpurged voters, and a porcine gag order.

WEEK OF November 2, 2018

Newsletters

Weeds, word counts, and would-be blood donors.

WEEK OF October 26, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Special Live Edition on the Fifth Circuit

WEEK OF October 25, 2018

Newsletters

Root canals, contraband dogs, and a marijuana petition.

WEEK OF October 15, 2018

Newsletters

Public defender shortfalls, warrantless rental inspections, and juveniles in solitary confinement.

WEEK OF October 12, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Sciencing the heck of Auer deference, cruel and unusual punishment of the homeless, and Pride Festival picketing.

WEEK OF October 8, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

A SCOTUS haiku challenge, incorporating the excessive fines clause, and a 40-foot cross on public property. Plus, the return of the nondelegation doctrine?

WEEK OF October 1, 2018

Newsletters

Butter grades, toxic coal ash, and Stairway to Heaven.

WEEK OF October 1, 2018

Newsletters

Interviewing prisoners, unionizing charter schools, and Rand Paul’s neighbor.

WEEK OF September 24, 2018

Newsletters

Sacred pachyderms, boating while Latino, police misconduct insurance, & more

WEEK OF September 17, 2018

Newsletters

Tasing a pregnant woman, tasing a man in diabetic shock, a faithless elector feels the Bern, & more

WEEK OF September 10, 2018

Newsletters

Studebaker cars, Satanic standing, a “legit baller,” breaking into prison, & more

WEEK OF September 3, 2018

#CourtingHistory

“WILL A WOMAN ALTER THE COURT?” The dramatic story of Sandra Day O’Connor’s Supreme Court nomination #CourtingHistory

WEEK OF September 1, 2018

Newsletters

Hawks v. eagles, drop drippers, solitary confinement, & more

WEEK OF August 27, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Honey Badger copyrighting, a cautionary tale about trusting a bureaucrat, Gitmo detainee tries to get free, & more in Episode 99

WEEK OF August 24, 2018

#CourtingHistory

The dramatic story of the first Senate confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court nominee #CourtingHistory

WEEK OF August 20, 2018

Newsletters

Feeding the homeless, drawing the Prophet Muhammed, Kim Kardashian, & more

WEEK OF August 20, 2018

Newsletters

Rumpelstiltskin, MacGyver, a whole bunch of attorneys behaving badly, & more

WEEK OF August 13, 2018

Newsletters

The rusty patched bumblebee, microstamping cartridges, officers who don’t turn on their recording equipment, & more

WEEK OF August 6, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Amtrak’s self-serving regulations, the FHFA’s unconstitutional structure, Auer deference (not your deference), & more on Episode 98

WEEK OF August 3, 2018

#CourtingHistory

Invisible Aliens, Alice in Wonderland, & the Rational Basis Test #CourtingHistory

WEEK OF July 31, 2018

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur interdum tincidunt nisl, eu fringilla nisi maximus ac.

Newsletters

Grenades, machine guns, 3D printed guns, a tranquilizer gun, machetes, duct tape, a long blonde wig, & more

WEEK OF July 30, 2018

Newsletters

Nuns against pipelines, don’t make eye contact with cops, self-defecation, & more

WEEK OF July 23, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Are TSA screeners law enforcement officers? Iowa’s version of the 4th Amendment, why the Feds approve pipelines, & more on Episode 97

WEEK OF July 20, 2018

Newsletters

Caligula, Ryan Gosling, the Miracle on Ice, & more

WEEK OF July 16, 2018

Newsletters

Queen Anne’s Revenge, Cindy Lou Who, a pile of deference, & more

WEEK OF July 9, 2018

Newsletters

Inappropriate commentary from the bench, objector blackmail, John Doe summonses, & more

WEEK OF July 2, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Detaining an American citizen abroad, jury trials for petty crimes, banning displays of the 1st Amendment, & more on Episode 96

WEEK OF June 29, 2018

Newsletters

A surfeit of text messages, a glut of voicemails, a mass strip search of choir girls, & more

WEEK OF June 25, 2018

Newsletters

Mo money mo problems, open-air burn pits, the case of the missing tattoos, & more

WEEK OF June 18, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

FTC’s cybersecurity crackdown, the best qualified immunity decision (?), & more on Episode 95

WEEK OF June 15, 2018

Newsletters

Dangerous tennis shoes, a magnificent distillery, bad advice from the IRS, & more

WEEK OF June 11, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Trespassing on a beach, offensively Big Pimpin,’ capping the age of judges, Virginia motorist fines, & more on Episode 94

WEEK OF June 8, 2018

Newsletters

Dangerous pavement, defamation insurance, child labor, a virulently racist attorney, & more

WEEK OF June 4, 2018

Newsletters

Mind Your Business vs. In God We Trust, cell extractions, teeth extractions, & more

WEEK OF May 28, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

Eminent domain for private gain, searching phones at the border, illegal structuring, & more on Episode 93

WEEK OF May 25, 2018

Newsletters

Table grapes, invasive cavity searches, comprehensive phone searches, acute jail conditions, & more

WEEK OF May 21, 2018

Newsletters

Trespassing on a private beach, meet and greets, La-la-land, Ron Paul, & more

WEEK OF May 14, 2018

Newsletters

The lost keepsakes of Simón Bolívar, border searches, violent career offenders, & more

WEEK OF May 7, 2018

Newsletters

Pet food puffery, suspiciously loud laughter, the school of hard knocks, & more

WEEK OF April 30, 2018

Short Circuit Podcast

The monkey selfie, the Pharma Bro, a murder confession from a drunk arrestee, & more on Episode 92

WEEK OF April 27, 2018

Newsletters

Grilling in the yard, radioactive waste in the yard, police drive onto the wrong yard, & more

WEEK OF April 23, 2018

Newsletters

Fishing for a lighter, standing on the porch, the right to loaf about, & more

WEEK OF April 16, 2018

Newsletters

Lemurs, scoundrels, a petulant pedestrian, & more

WEEK OF April 9, 2018

Newsletters

“Scary” bikers, an anticipatory warrant, a ban on Matisse, & more

WEEK OF April 2, 2018

Newsletters

West Nile encephalitis, nunchuks, a detainee’s blackened foot, & more

WEEK OF March 26, 2018

Newsletters

Hacky sacks aka “footbags,” policing for profit a Christmas Spectacular, & more

WEEK OF March 19, 2018

Newsletters

Iced coffee, sanctuary cities, the fiduciary rule, & more

WEEK OF March 12, 2018

Newsletters

Fighter jets, horse soring, climate stewardship, & more

WEEK OF March 5, 2018

Newsletters

Decency on the internet, scraping content, throttling data, & more

WEEK OF February 19, 2018

Newsletters

Handcuffing a 10-year-old, wealth-based pretrial detention, violent retribution for political participation, & more

WEEK OF February 12, 2018

Newsletters

A post-SWAT-raid code inspection, an eggregrious price fixing scheme, a tear gas accident, & more

WEEK OF February 5, 2018

Newsletters

“Sugar-based” prison diet, hot cells, effluent injections, illegal downloading, & more

WEEK OF January 29, 2018

Newsletters

$5 in cologne, $1 million in wine, $50 owed a prison inmate, & more

WEEK OF January 22, 2018

Newsletters

Inappropriate dolphin sex, killing economic liberty, killing killer owls, & more

WEEK OF January 8, 2018

Institute for Justice

WHAT IS SHORT CIRCUIT?

RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

No Fly List games and no sovereign immunity over Flint’s water crisis or Ferguson’s fines and fees.

Desperate circumstances, deceptive edits, and the rule of orderliness.

Sovereign immunity, absolute immunity, qualified immunity, and the agora of the digital age.

A blind websurfer, an accidental No Fly List designation, and a threat-inducing photocopy.

Flight risks, using police databases for personal reasons, and a sentencing brouhaha.

Tonal tightropes, regulatory time bombs, and a Southern soul music rivalry.

Almond milk, pee tests, and the Lorax doctrine.

The Fight for the 14th

A misleading film, a misleading statistic, and misleading crackers.

Body slams, reasonable retaliation, and Russian software.

Before the 14th: John Rock and the Birth of Birthright Citizenship

Bridge malefactors, mandatory blank reports, and a leaky judge.

Covered cheeks, cheeky hyphens, and uncovered booking photos.

Civil disgorgement, mild chastisement, and a Third Amendment.

Gun permits, debt peonage, a hog farm gag order, and dueling dinosaur fossils.

Dinosaur mortal combat, the hose treatment, and the great high school impostor.

A barbaric sentence, unpurged voters, and a porcine gag order.

Weeds, word counts, and would-be blood donors.

Special Live Edition on the Fifth Circuit

Root canals, contraband dogs, and a marijuana petition.

Public defender shortfalls, warrantless rental inspections, and juveniles in solitary confinement.

Sciencing the heck of Auer deference, cruel and unusual punishment of the homeless, and Pride Festival picketing.

A SCOTUS haiku challenge, incorporating the excessive fines clause, and a 40-foot cross on public property. Plus, the return of the nondelegation doctrine?

Butter grades, toxic coal ash, and Stairway to Heaven.

Interviewing prisoners, unionizing charter schools, and Rand Paul’s neighbor.

Sacred pachyderms, boating while Latino, police misconduct insurance, & more

Tasing a pregnant woman, tasing a man in diabetic shock, a faithless elector feels the Bern, & more

Studebaker cars, Satanic standing, a “legit baller,” breaking into prison, & more

“WILL A WOMAN ALTER THE COURT?” The dramatic story of Sandra Day O’Connor’s Supreme Court nomination #CourtingHistory

Hawks v. eagles, drop drippers, solitary confinement, & more

Honey Badger copyrighting, a cautionary tale about trusting a bureaucrat, Gitmo detainee tries to get free, & more in Episode 99

The dramatic story of the first Senate confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court nominee #CourtingHistory

Feeding the homeless, drawing the Prophet Muhammed, Kim Kardashian, & more

Rumpelstiltskin, MacGyver, a whole bunch of attorneys behaving badly, & more

The rusty patched bumblebee, microstamping cartridges, officers who don’t turn on their recording equipment, & more

Amtrak’s self-serving regulations, the FHFA’s unconstitutional structure, Auer deference (not your deference), & more on Episode 98

Invisible Aliens, Alice in Wonderland, & the Rational Basis Test #CourtingHistory

Grenades, machine guns, 3D printed guns, a tranquilizer gun, machetes, duct tape, a long blonde wig, & more

Nuns against pipelines, don’t make eye contact with cops, self-defecation, & more

Are TSA screeners law enforcement officers? Iowa’s version of the 4th Amendment, why the Feds approve pipelines, & more on Episode 97

Caligula, Ryan Gosling, the Miracle on Ice, & more

Queen Anne’s Revenge, Cindy Lou Who, a pile of deference, & more

Inappropriate commentary from the bench, objector blackmail, John Doe summonses, & more

Detaining an American citizen abroad, jury trials for petty crimes, banning displays of the 1st Amendment, & more on Episode 96

A surfeit of text messages, a glut of voicemails, a mass strip search of choir girls, & more

Mo money mo problems, open-air burn pits, the case of the missing tattoos, & more

FTC’s cybersecurity crackdown, the best qualified immunity decision (?), & more on Episode 95

Dangerous tennis shoes, a magnificent distillery, bad advice from the IRS, & more

Trespassing on a beach, offensively Big Pimpin,’ capping the age of judges, Virginia motorist fines, & more on Episode 94

Dangerous pavement, defamation insurance, child labor, a virulently racist attorney, & more

Mind Your Business vs. In God We Trust, cell extractions, teeth extractions, & more

Eminent domain for private gain, searching phones at the border, illegal structuring, & more on Episode 93

Table grapes, invasive cavity searches, comprehensive phone searches, acute jail conditions, & more

Trespassing on a private beach, meet and greets, La-la-land, Ron Paul, & more

The lost keepsakes of Simón Bolívar, border searches, violent career offenders, & more

Pet food puffery, suspiciously loud laughter, the school of hard knocks, & more

The monkey selfie, the Pharma Bro, a murder confession from a drunk arrestee, & more on Episode 92

Grilling in the yard, radioactive waste in the yard, police drive onto the wrong yard, & more

Fishing for a lighter, standing on the porch, the right to loaf about, & more

Lemurs, scoundrels, a petulant pedestrian, & more

“Scary” bikers, an anticipatory warrant, a ban on Matisse, & more

West Nile encephalitis, nunchuks, a detainee’s blackened foot, & more

Hacky sacks aka “footbags,” policing for profit a Christmas Spectacular, & more

Iced coffee, sanctuary cities, the fiduciary rule, & more

Fighter jets, horse soring, climate stewardship, & more

Decency on the internet, scraping content, throttling data, & more

Handcuffing a 10-year-old, wealth-based pretrial detention, violent retribution for political participation, & more

A post-SWAT-raid code inspection, an eggregrious price fixing scheme, a tear gas accident, & more

“Sugar-based” prison diet, hot cells, effluent injections, illegal downloading, & more

$5 in cologne, $1 million in wine, $50 owed a prison inmate, & more

Inappropriate dolphin sex, killing economic liberty, killing killer owls, & more

JOIN THE FIGHT! Sign up for newsletters:

Footer Signup

Litigating for Liberty.

JOIN THE FIGHT!