ARLINGTON, Va.—On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit filed by a Texas woman whose home was destroyed by a SWAT team may move forward. This is a first step toward holding the city of McKinney accountable for destroying Vicki Baker’s home. “The court recognized that the city of McKinney is not exempt from…

Syracuse, N.Y.—Today, residents and supporters of the Burnet Road neighborhood in Clay, New York, announced the formation of a new group, the Save Burnet Road Coalition. The group of homeowners and local business owners is organizing to stop the Onondaga County Industrial Development Authority (OCIDA) from destroying a multi-generational rural neighborhood in order to expand…

DENVER—Today, Abdallah Batayneh, an entrepreneur in Steamboat Springs, announced that he will appeal the dismissal of his lawsuit challenging Colorado’s transportation monopoly law. The lawsuit, which was filed in March 2021, argues that the law protects existing transportation companies from competition by giving them the power to veto new competition. That hurts customers, the public…

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Jeremy Bennett literally built his business from the ground up, teaching himself taxidermy and deer processing and then constructing his shop just yards from his home in Logan, Ohio. The shop is a private space, and Jeremy allows customers in by appointment only. He even has signs to that effect posted in and around…

ARLINGTON, Va. – If the government points cameras at your home and films you 24/7 for 18 straight months without a warrant, is that a “search” under the Fourth Amendment? The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a case called United States v. Tuggle, recently said “no.” But in a new amicus brief supporting…

INDIANAPOLIS—A new federal class action lawsuit from the Institute for Justice (IJ) aims to end a corrosive feature of Indiana’s civil-forfeiture system: the practice of giving private lawyers a personal financial stake in forfeiture prosecutions. Unlike every other state in the nation, Indiana outsources forfeiture prosecutions to private lawyers on a “contingency fee” basis. Forfeit…

ARLINGTON, Va. – Earlier this week, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s grant of qualified immunity to police officers who used an unconstitutional law to arrest and prosecute a citizen-journalist. The reversal means the citizen-journalist, Priscilla Villarreal, can now seek justice for her unconstitutional arrest by Laredo, Texas, police. As…

ROSEAU, Minn.—Four days before a crucial Roseau River Watershed District (RRWD) meeting that will include discussion of the controversial Roseau Lake Rehabilitation project, the RRWD Board made an unusual announcement: board meetings will no longer be viewable online, and individuals wishing to address the board must give 10 days’ notice. Other attendees will only be…

NEW ORLEANS—Kermit Warren, a New Orleans grandfather and head deacon of his Lower Ninth Ward church, will get his life savings back after the federal government agreed to dismiss its civil forfeiture case with prejudice, effectively clearing Kermit’s name. In November 2020, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents seized Kermit’s money at the Columbus, Ohio, airport.…

CALHOUN, Ga.—Your home is your castle. But in cities and towns throughout Georgia, the kind of home you are allowed to buy is limited not just by the price tag but by something unexpected: the government. Tiny House Hand Up (THHU), a Calhoun nonprofit that wants to use donated land to fill a niche for…

CHICAGO—Late last week, the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship (IJ Clinic) live-streamed its Eighth Annual South Side Pitch and declared the winners with the help of an online audience from around Chicagoland and beyond. Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness took first place among the six finalists from the more than 100 businesses who applied.…

PHILADELPHIA—The federal government and most states use civil forfeiture to take cash, cars and more without charging owners with a crime. The proceeds often flow into accounts controlled by law enforcement, sometimes including the same police and prosecutors who seized and forfeited the property. Yet few Americans realize this legal process exists until they find…

ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Yesterday afternoon, the Iowa District Court for Sioux County issued an opinion denying an attempt by Orange City, Iowa, to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its rental inspection ordinance. This ordinance allows the government to enter the most intimate confines of tenants’ homes—including bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and closets—in search of housing code violations, even…

Frankfort, Ky.—Today, the Franklin County Circuit Court ruled that Kentucky’s bold Education Opportunity Account Program, enacted in 2021 to give thousands of low- and middle-income families in Kentucky greater educational choice, is unconstitutional under Sections 59 and 184 of the Kentucky Constitution. Akia McNeary and Nancy Deaton, two parents who planned to use the program,…

LAS VEGAS—Today, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled against families in their constitutional challenge to a law that reduced the amount of tax credits available for donors to the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program. Three mothers of scholarship students, a scholarship granting foundation and two donors to scholarship programs were represented by the Institute for Justice…

Yesterday, the Institute for Justice (IJ) took home the “Best in Show” award in the Non-Profit category at the w3 Awards, one of the premier honors for “digital excellence.” IJ’s award-winning video, titled “IJ Helps Ordinary People Fight Back,” was one of more than 1,000 entries, and was one of only 34 to receive best…

PHOENIX–Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit ruled that Terry and Ria Platt can continue to litigate the unconstitutional forfeiture of their car. The federal appellate court ruling reinstates the Platts’ long-running constitutional challenge against forfeiture abuse in Arizona, in which they are represented by the Institute for Justice (IJ). The Platts, an elderly couple from eastern Washington,…

Trenton, N.J.—Today, New Jersey legalized the sale of home-baked goods like cookies, cakes and muffins with new rules published by the Office of Administrative Law. This move by New Jersey’s Department of Health means that home bakers in every state and D.C. can now sell homemade foods to their neighbors. The victory for New Jersey…

By all accounts, Rudy Carey had a hard childhood. When he was 18, his father—who raised him alone—was in a car accident. Rudy was forced to make the gut-wrenching decision to take him off life support. Like so many others faced with trauma, Carey turned to drugs and alcohol, which, in turn, led to a…

Zion, Ill.—Yesterday evening, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued an opinion denying a motion from Zion, Illinois, to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its rental inspection ordinance. The inspection program allows the city to enter residents’ homes without cause or their consent—subjecting landlords to $750 daily fines for every day…