Arlington, Va.—A federal judge dismissed a Maryland farmer’s suit against the FDA filed in order to protect his right to accurately label his all-natural skim milk. Current FDA regulations require that dairy products labelled as skim milk also contain synthetic vitamins. Randy Sowers, represented by the Institute for Justice (IJ), filed a federal lawsuit in…

Arlington, Virginia—Will the law enforcement officers who mercilessly beat James King—an innocent college student—be held accountable for their actions? Or will they be allowed to continue to hide behind special legal protections afforded to members of state/federal police task forces to escape justice? Last Friday, the Institute for Justice (IJ), which represents King, filed a…

Mandan, N.D.—Today, the lawsuit brought by Lonesome Dove saloon owners Brian Berube and August “Augie” Kersten has formally come to an end. Along with the Institute for Justice (IJ), Brian and Augie sued Mandan for trying to ban their mural because it was “intended to advertise an establishment.” Not only did their lawsuit save Lonesome…

Today, after illegally seizing and holding Robert Reeves’s 1991 Chevrolet Camaro for the last seven months, Detroit police agreed to return it along with $2,280 in cash they seized from him in July 2019. He picked up the car this morning. The police’s sudden change of heart comes on the heels of a federal class…

Tallahassee, Fla.—House and Senate committees today approved their versions of the Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act, bills that would overhaul occupational licensing laws in the state of Florida. The bills, HB 1193 and SB 474, are a top priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has supported licensing reform through administrative action and public statements. All…

Arlington, Virginia—In 2014, James King was a law-abiding college student who was brutally beaten and choked unconscious by members of a joint state/federal police task force after they misidentified him as a suspect sought in connection with a non-violent petty crime. Ever since that day, the government has used every tool at its disposal to…

Arlington, Va.—In a major win for free speech, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that occupational licensing is not a First Amendment-free zone. The court ruled that a Mississippi technology startup, Vizaline LLC, can go forward with its free speech challenge to a licensing law that a Mississippi regulatory board is attempting…

Arlington, Va.—Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether officials from the FBI and other government agencies can be held accountable for violating Americans’ constitutional rights. If the Supreme Court decides they cannot be, it will send a clear message to the FBI and other government agencies that they can trample on constitutional rights…

Today, a federal judge in the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) policy of silencing anyone who settles an enforcement actions with the agency. The lawsuit was brought by the Institute for Justice (IJ) on behalf of the Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank that contends…

Arlington, Va.—Today, a group of parents partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to defend the Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program, an educational choice initiative, against a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. By formally intervening in the lawsuit, the parents will ensure that the thousands of Tennessee families benefiting from the program are represented as…

Arlington, Va.—Today, the Institute for Justice (IJ)  announced they will intervene to defend the nation’s newest educational choice program from a legal attack announced this morning by Nashville Mayor John Cooper. The mayor announced a lawsuit brought by the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Shelby County and Metro Nashville Board of Public Education,…

For decades, Detroit police, sheriff’s deputies, and Wayne County prosecutors have systematically abused the constitutional rights of drivers by using a controversial tactic called civil forfeiture to seize and sell thousands of cars—oftentimes from completely innocent owners. Now, the Institute for Justice (IJ)—a nonprofit, public interest law firm—has partnered with a group of Detroit drivers…

WHAT:            Appeals Court Hearing WHEN:            Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 at 9:00 A.M. WHERE: U.S. Court of Appeals for The Fifth Circuit 600 Camp Street New Orleans, LA 70130 Four years ago, while Gerardo Serrano was waiting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas, he snapped a few photos to share on…

CHICAGO—Five years ago, Juana Ryan started a mobile art gallery selling her own work and works from other Chicago artists—StellaLily. Her innovative idea, however, did not fit neatly into the city’s regulatory scheme. After more than a year of confusion about how to operate legally, Juana and other mobile boutiques were eventually provided an emerging…

Following a federal lawsuit brought by the Institute for Justice, the City of Richland has ended its practice of unconstitutionally forcing homeowners to upgrade city streets as a condition of obtaining a building permit. As a result of that change, Linda Cameron is free to renovate her Richland home without first paying upwards of $60,000…

Lincoln, Neb.—Less than a year after Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed legislation allowing Nebraskans to sell safe homemade foods, the Lancaster County Health Department introduced a bill that, if passed, would be a major step back for food entrepreneurs and the “buy local” movement. The Institute for Justice (IJ), a national advocate for home-based entrepreneurs,…

MIAMI—El 11 de mayo de 2015, Miladis Salgado regresó a su casa y descubrió que su vida tuvo un giro inesperado. Mientras ella estaba trabajando, la policía ingresó a su casa y confiscó sus ahorros de toda la vida—$15.000 en efectivo que ella estaba ahorrando para la quinceañera de su hija—a partir de información de…

Late yesterday, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill (A4970) that will require a criminal conviction before civil forfeiture. Unlike criminal forfeiture, civil forfeiture typically allows the government to take and keep property without charging anyone with a crime. Thanks to the governor’s signature, New Jersey is now the 16th state with a conviction prerequisite to…

If you tell police they can go into your home, does that mean they can also legally stand outside and pepper it with shotgun-fired tear gas grenades—destroying everything inside? That is the question asked by a petition to the Supreme Court of the United States filed today by the Institute for Justice (IJ) on behalf…

PITTSBURGH—Terry Rolin’s life savings of $82,373 were seized by the federal government even though he has not been charged with any crime. In fact, his daughter was doing something completely legal—flying domestically with cash—when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized the money in August 2019 at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Today, Terry and his daughter…