Walter Olson
Writer on law etc.; Cato Institute. Election law, Maryland civic stuff, cooking. Blogged at Overlawyered back when. No kings, no tyrants.
- New post from me: a free society should not tolerate routine masking and other attempts to conceal identity by ICE agents raiding worksites, stopping cars and arresting protesters. And it's part of a wider Trump administration strategy of pursuing impunity for rights-violating law enforcers.
- Missed this one from a couple of weeks ago. Leaving aside the threat to prosecute bystanders who objected, why should we permit ICE enforcers to wear balaclavas and other masks when arresting people, as reports from around the country show them doing?
- ICE says they will bring charges against the two Immigration Rapid Response Hotline volunteers who demanded that agents show their badges before seizing two men from the Charlottesville courthouse. dailyprogress.com/news/local/c...
- Constitution Avenue has been selected as the main route for Trump’s Jun. 14 military parade, so for once “trampling on Constitution” will be more than a metaphor for him.
- New from me: language in the House reconciliation process would gut courts' power to enforce contempt rulings. That's a threat to justice not only in the Trump disputes at hand, but also across the private economy and, crucially, in other areas where government has violated constitutional rights. /1
- "By reopening this complaint, the commission is signaling to broadcasters that it intends to act at the behest of the White House...threatening the regulatory licenses of broadcasters whose news outlets produce coverage that does not pass muster in the President’s view." - 5 former FCC commissioners
- Reposted by Walter OlsonTo lose one multimillion dollar fighter jet, Mr. Hegseth, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness.
- Reposted by Walter Olsonabsolutely ominous that this was allowed into a court room presentation.
- After watching the AI video of the deceased victim, the judge told the family, "I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness...I feel that that was genuine.” I am speechless. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
- A bill due for a House vote "would dramatically expand U.S. anti-boycott laws," prescribing stiff prison terms and fines "for complying with international human rights sanctions against a U.S. ally, including by 'furnishing information.'" It's on hold now after some GOPers signaled opposition. /1
- "They’re called 'Pell runners' — after enrolling at a community college they apply for a federal Pell grant, collect as much as $7,400, then vanish." They may not actually exist as distinct humans, either: "In January, suspected bots represented 1 in 4 college applicants."
- Reposted by Walter Olson"The case could redefine how the Fourth Amendment applies in the age of cloud storage—and it may determine whether your emails, location history, search queries, and financial records that tech companies store on your behalf are treated as your property." reason.com/2025/05/02/t...
