Beyond the Brief

Can the government take a $95,000 plane because a passenger used it to transport a six pack of Budweiser? The Alaska Supreme Court says yes but the U.S. Constitution says no.  Today we chat with IJ attorneys Sam Gedge and Kirby West to discuss an outrageous new case from the Last Frontier and how forfeiture interacts with excessive fines, free speech, and more.  https://youtu.be/KL3UlAt2XSk Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

In this episode, we bring you the disturbing story of St. Paul police officer Heather Weyker, whose lies led to the wrongful prosecution of dozens of people—and put an innocent teenage refugee in jail for two years. Will she ever be held accountable?  Today we’re joined by  IJ senior attorney Patrick Jaicomo, one of the leaders of IJ's Project on Immunity and Accountability.  We’re discussing Patrick’s lawsuit against Officer Weyker, how courts have systematically closed doors to government accountability, and how IJ is trying to wrench those doors back open.  https://youtu.be/rf_NetF2l9k Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now related video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HujPlUyTXRY

Dalton Boley thought he found a refuge for him and his children in 10 acres of woods by his Alabama home. That is, until government officials started showing up on the land without a warrant.I'm Kim Norberg of the nonprofit civil liberties law firm the Institute for Justice, joined by co-host Keith Neely, and today we’re discussing the Open Fields Doctrine and what IJ is doing to close this 4th Amendment loophole. We’re joined by IJ attorney Josh Windham. https://youtu.be/tyeF77uNjW0 Related Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8mOkgMoWk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcnL6gF_ua4 Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

You shouldn’t need a law degree to start a barber shop, but entrepreneurs across the country face steep fees, delays, and confusing requirements before they ever even open. That’s why, in addition to suing cities when they violate people’s rights, IJ works with cities to make it cheaper, faster, and simpler to start a small business.  Today we’re joined by Assistant Director of IJ’s Activism Team Jennifer McDonald, and Senior Policy Advisor Chad Reese to discuss how IJ makes Cities Work. https://youtu.be/IYN4RCN-yo8 Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

The Constitution requires a warrant before police can search you or your property. But what if that warrant is based on third-hand information? That’s what happened to IJ client Michael Mendenhall, and it happens across America every day.  We recently spoke with IJ attorneys Patrick Jaicomo and Jared McClain to discuss how warrants are often just rubber stamps, and what IJ is doing to fix that.  https://youtu.be/0hTQIAsDHX0 Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

A new financial surveillance dragnet is sweeping up ordinary cash transactions at small businesses near the US-Mexico border. The federal government has placed onerous new requirements on businesses that help people without bank accounts cash checks or send money to family members. It’s demanding reports on all transactions involving at least $200 in cash, subjecting innocent people to warrantless surveillance and burying small businesses in paperwork.  Today we chat with IJ attorneys Rob Johnson and Betsy Sanz to talk about how IJ is fighting back against financial surveillance and the government’s war on cash.  https://youtu.be/MGPC27FIrqE Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

You might think constitutional lawsuits work like this: Find an unconstitutional law, challenge it in court, and if the law is truly unconstitutional, the court will strike it down. But in reality, a web of legal doctrines and ingrained attitudes mean judges have enormous leeway to avoid ruling against the government.  On this episode, we talk with IJ attorneys Josh Windham and John Wrench on judicial deference and why courts protect some rights better than others.  https://youtu.be/AwAFcSzqZ4A Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

In 2017, FBI agents, with guns drawn and a flashbang grenade, burst into the Atlanta home of Trina Martin, her then seven-year-old son Gabe, and her then partner Toi. Turns out, they had the wrong address. In April, Trina’s yearslong fight for accountability is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Today we chat with IJ client Trina Martin and IJ attorney Patrick Jaicomo about wrong house raids, what it’s like have the Supreme Court hear your case, and what victory will mean for Trina and all Americans.  https://youtu.be/j2GboGENmoQ Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. donate monthly

First enacted to ensure southern states respected the rights of newly freed slaves, the 14th Amendment is indispensable to modern civil rights litigation. But what does the amendment say and how does IJ use it to challenge everything from harassment by police to undue burdens on hair braiders?  Today we’ll discuss all that and more with IJ attorneys Bob McNamara and John Wrench. https://youtu.be/xPPU9ZKWd0Q Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now

$29,000 for overgrown grass. $16,000 for cracks in the driveway. $100,000 for parking incorrectly on your own property. These are some of the outrageous fines IJ’s clients have faced, often for harmless violations. The prohibition on excessive fines is one of our oldest rights, but governments, from small towns to federal agencies like the IRS, still issue ruinous fines and courts still rubberstamp these fines.  IJ attorneys Sam Gedge and Michael Greenberg join us for the discussion.  https://youtu.be/nRwi5QQMhYw?si=yTvNFAYtpQf1MtgW Case Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arP5ZzT_ihU Working Mother of 3 Faces $100,000 Parking Violation Most people accept that the government can fine you a small amount for parking illegally. But can the government cripple you financially for how you park your car on your very own driveway? In Lantana, Florida, that is exactly what happened to local homeowner Sandy Martinez. The city fined her more than $100,000—at a rate of $250 per day—for violating an ordinance regulating how one can park their car on their own driveway. Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now