Beyond the Brief Podcast

You might think constitutional lawsuits work like this: Find an unconstitutional law, challenge it in court, and if the law is truly unconstitutional, the court […]

In 2017, FBI agents, with guns drawn and a flashbang grenade, burst into the Atlanta home of Trina Martin, her then seven-year-old son Gabe, and […]

First enacted to ensure southern states respected the rights of newly freed slaves, the 14th Amendment is indispensable to modern civil rights litigation. But what […]

$29,000 for overgrown grass. $16,000 for cracks in the driveway. $100,000 for parking incorrectly on your own property. These are some of the outrageous fines […]

For centuries, people have helped their neighbors by providing food, shelter, and more to people in need. But all too often, the creativity and generosity […]

In Pasco County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office thought it had a great idea: make lists of who might commit crimes in the future and hound […]

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most reviled decisions in modern history, in Kelo v. City of New London. By a […]

We all want to feel secure in our homes, and if the reckless or abusive acts of government officials violate that security, we expect to […]

On Christmas Eve 2022, Jennifer Heath Box got off a cruise ship in Florida, excited to return home to Texas and spend Christmas with her […]

Not long ago, if police wanted to know where someone drove, they would have to follow that person for days, taking significant resources. But new […]

In Pennsylvania, officers of the Fish and Boat Commission have the power to trespass on any land or water without a warrant. For one couple, […]

The proliferation of video is changing how Americans fight for their civil rights, and much of it is happening right here on YouTube. I’m Kim […]

In 2013, a Clovis, California police officer found out that his girlfriend Desiree Martinez had reported him for physically abusing her—while Desiree was trapped in […]

In America, the government doesn’t get to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Yet states and cities throughout the country block new business to […]

Can the government take your land just because they don’t like you? That’s happening to Brinkmann’s Hardware, a beloved local store in Long Island. After […]

The film Rebel Ridge came September 6 and shot to #1 on Netflix. It depicts a former Marine’s attempts to get his money back after […]

It’s legal to travel domestically with any amount of cash. It’s legal to travel in and out of the U.S. with more than $10k if […]

On a typical day, police officers pull over more than 50,000 drivers. If you’ve had a recent encounter with police, chances are good it was […]

The freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment is a foundational and cherished right that sets America apart from other constitutional democracies.    Many […]

As our listeners probably know, civil forfeiture is legal practice that lets the government take and keep your property by claiming it’s connected to a […]

Imagine a SWAT team raids a house—battering doors, breaking windows, and coating everything inside with tear gas residue.  Now imagine the SWAT team had the […]

In March 2021, people entered a private security-deposit box company in Beverly Hills, CA, broke open hundreds of boxes, and indiscriminately seized their contents – […]

We like to think of America as a land of opportunity and second chances. But what happens when a web of government restrictions prevents someone […]

If a federal official violates your rights, is it impossible to hold them accountable?  In this episode, we talk with IJ senior attorneys Anya Bidwell […]

Your home is supposed to be your castle. But what about the land your castle sits on?  We discuss why it is that most private […]

What can Americans do if the government retaliates against them for speaking out? Today we’re going to discuss real world examples of governments retaliating against […]

Does qualified immunity actually accomplish what the Supreme Court intended? Kim Norberg and co-host Keith Neely discuss qualified immunity and how it plays out in […]

Unbeknownst to parents, a portion of their baby’s blood remained unused after a standard screening was complete. And New Jersey had unilaterally decided that it […]

Deep Dive is now becoming Beyond the Brief.  We will still bring you the same great IJ-related content as before, but now in a studio […]

Why so-called Terry stops are a threat to essential Fourth Amendment rights