Jacob Knutson
@jaknutson.bsky.social
2.1K followers 340 following 180 posts
Reporter at @democracydocket.com
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Reposted by Jacob Knutson
cshaplaw.bsky.social
Note that this is a partial grant of the administrative stay only. The court has not ruled on the stay pending appeal.
jonseidel.bsky.social
#BREAKING The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals PARTIALLY grants the stay sought by the Trump Administration.

The stay is GRANTED as to federalization of the National Guard.

But it is DENIED as to deployment.

So deployment still BLOCKED, but troops "do not need to return to their home states."
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Trump's deployment of national guard units is designed to provoke civil unrest where none previously existed. This is obvious. And now also a judicially determined fact following presentation of evidence and argument.
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
qjurecic.bsky.social
Worth emphasizing that there are serious questions about whether or not Lindsey Halligan is even legally in her job
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
jimbrown.bsky.social
Habeas Corpus? Didn’t we deport him?
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
UPDATE: DOJ filed a notice that it is appealing the 14-day TRO, an order that is not generally appealable. This will go to the Seventh Circuit. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
STATE OF ILLINOIS and the CITY OF CHICAGO,
Plaintiffs,
Case No. 1:25-cv-12174
v.
DONALD J. TRUMP, et al., in their official capacities,
Defendants.
NOTICE OF APPEAL
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that all Defendants in the above-captioned case hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from this Court's October 9, 2025, Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction. ECF No.
67.
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
organizingpower.bsky.social
The importance of this question cannot be overstated: Trump has been communicating directly with Bondi through Truth Social about indicting his enemies. How this question is resolved is critical.
annabower.bsky.social
Important discovery fight taking shape in Kilmar Abrego Garcia's criminal case.

The question: Can the government assert privilege to avoid handing over documents that may be relevant to a defendant's vindictive prosecution claim?

Abrego's counsel says no.

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
www.documentcloud.org
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Secret deployment of national guard units is now a standard Trump tactic. Why?
jaknutson.bsky.social
A federal judge Thursday froze President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops in and around Chicago, saying the president lacked the authority to do so.
Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Chicago Military Deployment
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
democracydocket.com
BREAKING: A federal judge shuts down President Trump’s attempt to deploy any National Guard troops in Chicago, ruling he lacks such authority and that his “rebellion” claims were not credible.
Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Chicago Military Deployment
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
jonseidel.bsky.social
#BREAKING Federal judge in Chicago temporarily blocks the Trump administration from "ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois."
jonseidel.bsky.social
Perry says the order will say defendants are "temporarily enjoined from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois."
jaknutson.bsky.social
How do we operate as a free and open society when the president can swoop into any city, tear apart communities, then use the inevitable unrest resulting from his actions to station standing armies indefinitely?
jaknutson.bsky.social
The DOJ is currently arguing in court that the president can deliberately provoke unrest and incite chaos in a city and then can use that turmoil as justification for deploying the National Guard.
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: How do you respond to the plaintiffs' contention that any unrest, any violence is the fault of how federal agents are interacting with members of the public? Does it matter if their conduct is why they can't execute federal laws?
Hamilton: No.
jaknutson.bsky.social
If we accept this argument, we are legitimizing the possibility of the president or his allies sending people into the streets to rile things up to create pretext for a military deployment.

And the people, of course, could be DHS agents, far-right militia groups or just the president's supporters.
jaknutson.bsky.social
The DOJ is currently arguing in court that the president can deliberately provoke unrest and incite chaos in a city and then can use that turmoil as justification for deploying the National Guard.
heathercherone.bsky.social
Perry: How do you respond to the plaintiffs' contention that any unrest, any violence is the fault of how federal agents are interacting with members of the public? Does it matter if their conduct is why they can't execute federal laws?
Hamilton: No.
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
splcenter.org
🚨The Election Assistance Commission needs to hear from you!

Anti-voter groups are petitioning to make Americans registering to vote with the EAC's federal form show documents like a passport, which millions don’t have.

Learn more & take action to protect our #VotingRights 📲: bit.ly/42tPHua
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
jonseidel.bsky.social
Standing by this morning, waiting for Judge Perry’s courtroom to open for arguments today in Illinois v Trump.

Doors should open in 30 minutes or so.
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
lawrencehurley.bsky.social
This case is relevant in the context of Trump's National Guard deployment as DHS is citing it as one example of why troops are needed.
bradheath.bsky.social
A woman who was shot multiple times by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents did not ram them with her car and had her weapon stored in her purse at the time of the incident, according to her lawyer, contradicting accounts by the Department of Homeland Security.

www.reuters.com/world/us/bod...
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
jimsaksa.com
Come be an intern at @democracydocket.com!

Maybe, unlike I did with all my college and law school internships, you can get a real head start in a career of your choice!

At the very least, I'll be there to tell you why you shouldn't go to law school!

ats.rippling.com/democracy-do...
News Team Spring 2026 Internship | Work With Us
About the Internship Program Our interns are embedded directly into Democracy Docket’s teams, where they gain hands-on, professional experi...
ats.rippling.com
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
jonseidel.bsky.social
This lays out the situation in IL so far.

200 federalized National Guard troops in the state as of 3 p.m. on 10/8.

Two requests for protection support: 1. The ICE facility in Broadview, and 2. The Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Friday "due to two high profile cases involving DHS activities."
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
joshuaweishart.bsky.social
Incitement to violence is not protected free speech but the president has no authority to unilaterally decide that all or even most instances of flag burning constitute incitement. That would also be defying binding precedent, which is what it sounds like they intend to do.
atrupar.com
Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
hcrichardson.bsky.social
People ask what they can do in this moment: here's a crucially important election. There are 52,000 elections taking place next month, many of which will be determined by turnout.
Reposted by Jacob Knutson
bgrueskin.bsky.social
Remember that "Pam: I have reviewed ..." TruthSocial post from Trump, the one that looked a lot like a private message?

Yes, it was supposed to be a private message.

Trump "was surprised to learn it was public."

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
jaknutson.bsky.social
Important but nuanced news out from the 9th Circuit: A panel stayed a lower court order blocking Trump’s federalization of the Oregon National Guard.

A second lower court order that halts the deployment of any federalized Guard troop in Oregon remains in effect because Trump never challenged it.
Judges Let Trump Federalize Oregon National Guard, But Block on Deployment Remains
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
jaknutson.bsky.social
See it and believe it
justinbaragona.bsky.social
Incredible.

Jack Posobiec references the earliest version of antifa -- the anti-fascists in the Weimar Republic who were opposed to the Nazi Party -- as the bad guys.