Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Mike Fox

David Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 6d

Holy hell. DHS just openly stated that its agents use “reasonable suspicion” to make ARRESTS. This is blatantly unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is clear that you need probable cause to arrest someone, as opposed to stop them to ask them a question or two. This is huge b/c…

480 5.8K 14K

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 6d

Three cheers for the Constitution's right to a jury: a federal jury in Los Angeles "took just over an hour to acquit [Brayan] Ramos-Brito of a misdemeanor assault count" in an ICE-scuffle case hinging heavily on the testimony of border sector chief Gregory Bovino, now doing raids in Chicago.

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · 6d

Yet another piece on the role of juries:

www.ocregister.com/2025/10/02/r...

Rejecting injustice: The jury’s role in a politicized justice system

The acquittal of Brayan Ramos-Brito should be seen as a victory for all who believe in the enduring power of the jury as the ultimate safeguard of our liberties.

www.ocregister.com

19 450 1.7K

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · 6d

Yet another piece on the role of juries:

www.ocregister.com/2025/10/02/r...

Rejecting injustice: The jury’s role in a politicized justice system

The acquittal of Brayan Ramos-Brito should be seen as a victory for all who believe in the enduring power of the jury as the ultimate safeguard of our liberties.

www.ocregister.com

3 41 190

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 6d

From my colleague @foxmike90.bsky.social: The Framers saw citizen juries as a bulwark against tyranny, and D.C. juries could do much to curb Jeanine Pirro’s penchant for pressing doubtful charges in politically charged cases.

The Home Team Advantage: How DC Jurors Can Become a Bulwark Against Government Oppression

When prosecutors overstep their bounds, the Framers tasked citizen jurors with exercising their widely recognized power to reject their advances through a verdict of acquittal.

www.cato.org

4 49 260

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 13d

From my colleague Matthew Cavedon: under the Constitution, it's up to states (and not, as he seems to think, Donald Trump) to decide to what extent to rely on cash bail. Either way, improved pretrial supervision can offer an option better tailored to the rights of defendants and needs of the public.

Pretrial Supervision Can Offer More Freedom—and Safety—than Jail or Cash Bail

Pretrial supervision represents a smarter approach than the extremes of warehousing defendants or turning them loose. The momentum now exists to review pretrial release.

www.cato.org

3 10

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · 13d

This EO clearly seems to cover ICE enforcement and recruitment tactics. Of course, the Admin won't investigate itself.

4

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 13d

Some preliminary thoughts on Trump's new executive order "Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence," which declares a law enforcement crackdown on some ill-specified blend of action and speech by his political adversaries, on grounds that they encourage and abet violence. /1

Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence

NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

www.whitehouse.gov

22 220 480

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 15d

Critics including Elon Musk have assailed my @cato.org colleague Alex Nowrasteh's study finding that most politically motivated terrorist killings in the U.S. since 1975 have been done by persons on the right. Alex responds to the critics here and explains his methods and classifications.

Alex Responds to the Critics: Politically Motivated Terrorist Killings in the United States

The critics are mistaken

www.alexnowrasteh.com

6 100 230

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 19d

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Barnes v. Felix was counted as a major win for police accountability. By the time the Fifth Circuit was done with the case, though, the Barnes family’s hopes were dashed, writes my colleague @foxmike90.bsky.social

A Moat of Crocodiles: How Judicially Confected Doctrines Devoured a Supreme Court Victory

The Framers intended for juries—comprised of ordinary citizens—to adjudicate disputes between citizens and their government. However, thanks to judicially confected doctrines that lack a legitimate ba...

www.cato.org

1 7 23

Reposted by Mike Fox

Patrick G. Eddington @pgeddington.com · 19d

My tribute to my friend @rethinkintel.bsky.social

A Retired FBI Agent's Advice on Fighting Authoritarianism

Every governor, mayor, and county executive in this country should read Mike’s piece and use it as a blueprint for dealing with the Trump regime’s de facto attempts to commandeer state and local polic...

www.cato.org

1 6 9

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · 19d

www.cato.org/blog/moat-cr...

A Moat of Crocodiles: How Judicially Confected Doctrines Devoured a Supreme Court Victory

The Framers intended for juries—comprised of ordinary citizens—to adjudicate disputes between citizens and their government. However, thanks to judicially confected doctrines that lack a legitimate ba...

www.cato.org

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28d

The Constitution protects both the right to keep and bear arms and the right to travel. Massachusetts nonetheless prosecutes out-of-staters who drive in MA with a gun in their trunk, even though they never used it in MA. Cato urges certiorari of Mass. top court ruling upholding that [Matt Cavedon]

Marquis v. Massachusetts Brief: Americans Have the Right to Travel Armed

Massachusetts forbids nonresidents from carrying a firearm for self-defense on pain of a felony conviction and a minimum of eighteen months in prison—even though the Constitution protects the right of...

www.cato.org

6 5 23

Reposted by Mike Fox

Ilya Somin @ilyasomin.bsky.social · 29d

Supreme Court will hear our case challenging Trump's massive IEEPA tariffs, along with 2 related cases. I hope SCOTUS, like lower courts, will recognize President doesn't have monarchical power to impose taxes in form of tariffs! See link for details: reason.com/volokh/2025/...

Supreme Court Will Hear Our Case Challenging Trump's Tariffs - and Two Other Related Cases

NA Today, the Supreme Court decided to review V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump, our case challenging President Trump's "Liberation Day"…

reason.com

10 39 140

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 29d

Fifth Circuit correctly rejects Trump admin's arguments for vast discretionary authority under the Alien Enemies Act. @ilyasomin.bsky.social says Judge Oldham's 130-page (!) dissent is a "herculean" effort that just goes to "underscore the radical and dangerous nature of the government’s position."

Fifth Circuit Rules Trump's Use of Alien Enemies Act Is Illegal

The 2–1 ruling is in line with most previous court decisions on Trump’s invocation of the AEA. Judge Oldham wrote an extremely long, but significantly flawed, dissent.

www.cato.org

4 36 110

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · 29d

We cannot have a country where the rights of one person matter more than the rights of another, simply because they were born in a different country or are the descendants of someone who was.

www.cato.org/blog/freedom...

Freedom for Me but Not for Thee

We cannot have a country where the rights of one person matter more than the rights of another, simply because they were born in a different country or are the descendants of someone who was.

www.cato.org

3 16 55

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 6

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMj...

Policing the Wrong Things

YouTube video by The Cato Institute

www.youtube.com

1

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 6

www.cato.org/blog/trial-w...

The Trial of William Penn: The Verdict That Freed the Jury

The citizen jury is not simply a passive audience, but a vital check on the exercise of government power.

www.cato.org

1 1

Reposted by Mike Fox

Patrick G. Eddington @pgeddington.com · Sep 5

cc: @radleybalko.bsky.social @foxmike90.bsky.social @thebulwark.com @andycraig.bsky.social @aaronrosspowell.com @liberalcurrents.com @theunpopulist.net @walterolson.bsky.social @thereloadteam.bsky.social @gunownerfoundation.bsky.social @apnews.com @reuters.com @politico.com

Patrick G. Eddington @pgeddington.com · Sep 5

My latest, on Trump's unconstitutional assault on the Second Amendment rights of transgendered people to defend themselves.

www.cato.org/blog/trump-g...

1 1

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 5

Happy to. That’s what I’m here for!

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · Sep 4

The Sixth Amendment prescribes that "all" criminal prosecutions be tried by jury, yet the Supreme Court has chosen to make "petty offenses" an exception, even when they bring jail time, and even if stacked. Observe the results in Pirro's prosecution of the recent D.C. flag burning case.

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 2

www.cato.org/blog/when-co...

When a Constitutional Right Is a Petty Exception

The Constitution’s text explicitly commands that the trial of “all” federal crimes be by jury, and it underscores that command by repeating in the Sixth Amendment that “in all criminal prosecutions” t...

www.cato.org

8 16

Reposted by Mike Fox

Patrick G. Eddington @pgeddington.com · Sep 4

cc: @radleybalko.bsky.social @davidjbier.bsky.social @reason.com @thenation.com @motherjones.com @theintercept.com @huffpost.com @kenwhite.bsky.social @chrishudsonjr.bsky.social @foxmike90.bsky.social @jvl.bsky.social @thebulwark.com @propublica.org @texasobserver.org @texastribune.org @apnews.com

Patrick G. Eddington @pgeddington.com · Sep 4

Not one word in this story about the blatantly serially unconstitutional conduct by regime elements. Pure disinfo/agitprop.

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/se...

1 1

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 4

www.cato.org/blog/beyond-...

Beyond the Mugshot: When Those Who Enforce the Law Refuse to Follow It

For our criminal justice system to be perceived as legitimate, those with the power to deprive us of our liberty must be held accountable.

www.cato.org

1 1

Reposted by Mike Fox

Billy Binion @billybinion.bsky.social · Sep 3

This is 82-year-old pilot Ken Jouppi. Alaska seized his $95,000 plane—and has spent *13 years* trying to keep it forever.

Why? Because a passenger once brought a 6-pack of beer on his flight.

Now he has one last hope. A thread.

3 12 33

Mike Fox @foxmike90.bsky.social · Sep 2

www.cato.org/blog/when-co...

When a Constitutional Right Is a Petty Exception

The Constitution’s text explicitly commands that the trial of “all” federal crimes be by jury, and it underscores that command by repeating in the Sixth Amendment that “in all criminal prosecutions” t...

www.cato.org

2

Reposted by Mike Fox

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · Aug 30

“The Happiest Place On Earth” is a trademarked phrase of the Disney company. Otherwise I might be tempted to use it to describe Cato today after the appeals court struck down the tariffs. @cato.org

6 16 180