Nora Demleitner
norademleitner.bsky.social
Nora Demleitner
@norademleitner.bsky.social

Writer, educator, lawyer, immigrant. Served as college president & law dean. Writing on problems — and ways forward — in criminal justice & sentencing and higher education, often with a look abroad for different approaches. .. more

Nora V. Demleitner is a German-American jurist and academic administrator. She was the president of St. John's College - Annapolis from 2022–2025. Prior to this, she served as the dean of Washington and Lee University School of Law from 2012-2015 and dean of Hofstra University School of Law from 2007-2012. .. more

Political science 44%
Law 24%

Europeans now broadly consider the US a threat to their security. They mourn their relationship with the US and the end of a world order in which we have grown up and the apparent demise of the rule of law. They wanted to see the US as an aspiration, whatever our flaws. No more.
What Gen McCaffrey says. And note that major US broadcast news outlets decided that the German president's remarks were not reportable news. They're afraid to cross Trump.

Interesting read on the attack on peer-reviewed journals & non-scientific research. It comes right as we need to understand political developments, history and law better.
The ongoing separation between STEM (worthy) & everything else (unnecessary) doesn’t make for a creative & educated populace.
As Paul Musgrave shows, the right wingers are coming for political science. They’re coming for the legal academy, too, even if it’s still below the radar. Don’t think for a second the war on universities is just about the humanities. open.substack.com/pub/musgrave...
U.S. Political Science in the Crosshairs
Conservatives have a lot of levers yet to pull
open.substack.com
As Paul Musgrave shows, the right wingers are coming for political science. They’re coming for the legal academy, too, even if it’s still below the radar. Don’t think for a second the war on universities is just about the humanities. open.substack.com/pub/musgrave...
U.S. Political Science in the Crosshairs
Conservatives have a lot of levers yet to pull
open.substack.com

Taxpayers will have to foot the bill for DHS malfeasance.
The federal government Friday agreed to pay $125,000 after a judge found a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent liable for civil assault for pointing a gun at a hotel maintenance man who came to the agent’s room to unclog a toilet.
Feds pay $125K after Border Patrol agent pointed gun at Portland hotel worker
The payout amount was finalized during a settlement conference Friday after a judge found the officer civilly liable for assault.
www.oregonlive.com

What a quaint scandal. Almost comforting, especially as there’ll be a real investigation of the misuse of taxpayer funds.

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

The federal government Friday agreed to pay $125,000 after a judge found a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent liable for civil assault for pointing a gun at a hotel maintenance man who came to the agent’s room to unclog a toilet.
Feds pay $125K after Border Patrol agent pointed gun at Portland hotel worker
The payout amount was finalized during a settlement conference Friday after a judge found the officer civilly liable for assault.
www.oregonlive.com

Commentary from community-focused police group in Germany: videos indicate that officer could have stepped aside & aimed at tires.

More devastating their (correct) assessment of VP’s comment as bankrupting rule of law in the US.
Völlig abgesehen davon, dass es nach den Videoaufnahmen völlig klar ist, dass ein Zurseitetreten des Beamten u. danach maximal eine gezielte Schussabgabe auf den Reifen möglich gewesen wäre, ist die Erklärung von VP Vance die Bankrotterklärung des Rechtsstaats USA.

www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausl...
Was wirklich beim tödlichen ICE-Einsatz in Minneapolis geschah
Waren die tödlichen Schüsse wirklich Notwehr des ICE-Beamten, wie Trump behauptet? Daran gibt es Zweifel, wie ZDFheute anhand von Videos zeigt.
www.zdfheute.de

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

Völlig abgesehen davon, dass es nach den Videoaufnahmen völlig klar ist, dass ein Zurseitetreten des Beamten u. danach maximal eine gezielte Schussabgabe auf den Reifen möglich gewesen wäre, ist die Erklärung von VP Vance die Bankrotterklärung des Rechtsstaats USA.

www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausl...
Was wirklich beim tödlichen ICE-Einsatz in Minneapolis geschah
Waren die tödlichen Schüsse wirklich Notwehr des ICE-Beamten, wie Trump behauptet? Daran gibt es Zweifel, wie ZDFheute anhand von Videos zeigt.
www.zdfheute.de

With an administration that retroactively reshuffled winners when transgender women competed, not a far stretch to change the Nobel Prize awardees, too.

Next up:
- a retroactive Golden Globe for “The Apprentice”
- Pulitzer
- Olympic Gold for some fake new category.
Alfred Nobel specifically stated in his will that once the prize has been awarded it can’t be changed. But if Trump is so pathetic that he wants to take Machado’s medal, and she’s so desperate and weak that she will give it to him, let the world watch that disgraceful charade.

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

What Gen McCaffrey says. And note that major US broadcast news outlets decided that the German president's remarks were not reportable news. They're afraid to cross Trump.

An ICE shooting in Glen Burnie, MD. Local police investigation indicates ICE violating procedure & lying about at least one essential fact: the second victim was not a passenger in the car agents shot at but rather was already in ICE custody. Hard to fathom. @thebaltimorebanner.com
Anne Arundel County Police dispute ICE’s account of Glen Burnie shooting
A deadly shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis on Wednesday renewed scrutiny of a violent Christmas Eve incident involving ICE agents in Glen Burnie, with Anne Arundel County ...
www.thebanner.com

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

Alfred Nobel specifically stated in his will that once the prize has been awarded it can’t be changed. But if Trump is so pathetic that he wants to take Machado’s medal, and she’s so desperate and weak that she will give it to him, let the world watch that disgraceful charade.

It is time to highlight how false & misleading all talk about crime has become.

1. low crime rate & record low homicide rates in many cities
2. mass deportations of people without any record

Crime is not a top concern but it is being weaponized & turned into one despite the data.
NEW: Data released by ICE shows that virtually the entire growth of detention in the last few months has been among people with no criminal record at all - no prior convictions (no matter how minor) and no pending criminal charges.
NEW: Data released by ICE shows that virtually the entire growth of detention in the last few months has been among people with no criminal record at all - no prior convictions (no matter how minor) and no pending criminal charges.

We need more thoughtful voices like @austinkocher.com

This 👇is a worthwhile read. It
highlights the need for a serious investigation & leadership that acknowledges the trauma a loss of life inflicts, especially when captured & shared widely on video.

I share that assessment entirely. Very worthwhile reading.

It feels like the most overused & meaningless phrase is “law & order”. It means apparently whatever anyone wants it to mean.
Sen. Ernst: "People need to take a step back and understand that these officers are enforcing the laws of our nation. If you want to live in a lawless nation, then go to the nations where many of these people ran from. We should appreciate we have law and order here."

Unprecedented.
Is this the fourth or fifth disqualified Trump US attorney? I think the fifth? Essayli, Halligan, Chattah, Habba, and now Sarcone (the guy who appointed himself as his own deputy.)
Is this the fourth or fifth disqualified Trump US attorney? I think the fifth? Essayli, Halligan, Chattah, Habba, and now Sarcone (the guy who appointed himself as his own deputy.)

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

The Trump Administration's Abdication of Moral Responsibility in Responding to the Killing of Renee Nicole Good

austinkocher.substack.com/p/the-trump-...
The Trump Administration's Abdication of Moral Responsibility in Responding to the Killing of Renee Nicole Good
Prior to an investigation into ICE's use of lethal force in Minneapolis, the Trump admin branded a dead U.S. citizen as a "violent rioter," "professional agitator", and terrorist. It has to stop.
austinkocher.substack.com

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

Sen. Ernst: "People need to take a step back and understand that these officers are enforcing the laws of our nation. If you want to live in a lawless nation, then go to the nations where many of these people ran from. We should appreciate we have law and order here."

Totally with you on that. Love the Webb comparison 😀
Also they never seem to talk to a competent lawyer before they talk (or perhaps they don’t follow legal guidance), which I think is different in major police departments (or anywhere else).

Reposted by Tim Stephens

Withdrawing from the special rep on Violence against Children is galling (though perhaps it meets the cannot-release-Epstein-file moment).

Also note withdrawal from International Law Commission, which also seems fitting as 2026 is apparently the year to destroy all remnants of it.

What we are seeing from ICE & DHS goes well beyond brand management. Attacking the victim to the extent we see here & seeding claims about trained agitators who intentionally attack agents goes well beyond what is typical in these situations, imo.
Major police departments have entire PR offices.

Investigators for the NYC’s civilian oversight agency have described the primary job of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs ppl to be brand management above all else.

In any moment like this, police claims should be taken skeptically.

But ESPECIALLY DHS’s.

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

Reposted by Nora V. Demleitner

Major police departments have entire PR offices.

Investigators for the NYC’s civilian oversight agency have described the primary job of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs ppl to be brand management above all else.

In any moment like this, police claims should be taken skeptically.

But ESPECIALLY DHS’s.

Automatic restoration of voting rights in VA is a huge issue.
For too long have governors held the power to keep people from regaining the franchise.
Two big consequences to Democrats having these majorities:

they're on the verge of advancing constitutional amendments to greenlight middecade redistricting & to automate rights restoration. boltsmag.org/five-ways-20...

In another century buying land, presumably with its population (or do we plan to resettle them, too?), would have been fine. After decolonization, the Civil War, the UN Charter, and the creation of an int’l regime of laws, it’s insufferable to hear this idea advances publicly.
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that recent administration threats against Greenland didn’t signal an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussions."
Exclusive | Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump Aims to Buy Greenland, Downplays Military Action
The secretary of state said the White House is using rhetoric to pressure Denmark into negotiations.
www.wsj.com