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Short Circuit

@shortcircuitij.bsky.social
840 followers 10 following 377 posts

You like law? We've got law. Check out our concise & fun-to-read summaries of circuit court opinions, listen to our (sometimes irreverent) podcasts, & more. A project of the Center for Judicial Engagement at the Institute for Justice

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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Bogus traffic stops, cell-site simulating, and chain refoulment. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Bogus traffic stops, cell-site simulating, and chain refoulment. - Institute for Justice
“Technology may make surveillance more convenient, but it does not make the Fourth Amendment’s protections any less important.” So said IJ legislative counsel Alasdair Whitney […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Our Latest Podcast: How Constitutional Are Your Claims? With Robert Steinbuch & Anya Bidwell! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 447 | How Constitutional Are Your Claims? - Institute for Justice
We focus on a district court case that has appellate court explanatory power. As our special guest Professor Robert Steinbuch says, if you reside in […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Cellphones searches, home searches, and strip searches. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Cellphones searches, home searches, and strip searches. - Institute for Justice
Do Flock cameras actually reduce crime? The company says a new study shows it. But, looking at the same study, we see no statistically significant […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Our Latest Podcast: SWAT Teams at the Supreme Court With Jeff Redfern & Nick DeBenedetto! youtu.be/S1VDQh74g-0?...
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Roadblocks to building a new apartment building in Nashville | Short Circuit 446
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Backup groomsmen, weak sauce, and interment camps. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Backup groomsmen, weak sauce, and interment camps. - Institute for Justice
New case! IJ client Katy Duckstein is a former public school math teacher who opened Roots Learning Academy, an innovative hybrid homeschooling program that’s open […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Crazytown In our #12Months12Circuits series we've reached Number 9! All the Ninth Circuit Facts you could ever wish for plus Ninth Circuit resident Paul Avelar & former Ninth Circuit clerk Ben Field! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 445 | Crazytown - Institute for Justice
Time for The Big One. So many have so many takes on the Ninth Circuit that, as part of our #12Months12Circuits series, we at IJ […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Fancy timepieces, traitors, and lengthy footnotes. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Fancy timepieces, traitors, and lengthy footnotes. - Institute for Justice
New on the Bound by Oath podcast: In 1966, Los Angeles officials tried to put a man in prison for handing out leaflets in protest […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The latest from Bound By Oath! In 1966, a man faced prison for handing out leaflets protesting a fatal police shooting. Today, we know the case as Younger v. Harris, which kicked off Younger abstention, the bane of many a civil rights plaintiff. W/ Fred Smith of Stanford Law! ij.org/podcasts/bou...
ij.org
Younger abstention | Season 4, Ep. 4 - Institute for Justice
In 1966, Los Angeles officials tried to put a man in prison for handing out leaflets in protest of a fatal police shooting. Today, we […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Our Latest Podcast: A Right to Record the Police? With @jaredmcclain.bsky.social & Bobbi Taylor! youtu.be/rMYn63TsJN0?...
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He got arrested for recording the police and then refusing to show ID | Short Circuit 444
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
We're coming to Cambridge, Mass! See a live show on zoning, the Constitution & Cambridge. Euclid v Ambler Realty, Nectow v Cambridge & YIMBYism today. W/ @maureenebrady.com @burhanazeem.bsky.social Ari Bargil of @ij.org & @ijsanders.bsky.social Space is limited, RSVP today! ij.org/event/short-...
ij.org
Short Circuit Live: 100 Years of Zoning—and Reform—in Cambridge - Institute for Justice
Join us for a live recording of the Short Circuit podcast! Monday, October 19, 2026 at 12pm the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Appropriately […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Fabricated identities, fictitious daycares, and made-up laws. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Fabricated identities, fictitious daycares, and made-up laws. - Institute for Justice
New case! IJ clients Charles and Eli Copley own 50 wooded acres in Roxbury, Conn., where they’ve always welcomed hikers for a small hourly fee, […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Irreparable Speech Harms. All about the Eighth Circuit, with Aaron Van Oort & Sam Gedge! #12Months12Circuits Plus, learn how Judge Posner wrote opinions in less than two hours. ij.org/podcasts/sho...
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Rough rides, U.S. attorney vacancies, and the 26th Amendment. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Rough rides, U.S. attorney vacancies, and the 26th Amendment. - Institute for Justice
New on the Short Circuit podcast: Shooting the wrong man (tragedy) and free speech dying in the library (comedy). Mega-cool! Last week, Austin, Tex. officials […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Free Speech Died in the Library With @pjaicomo.bsky.social & Sophia Henderson! youtu.be/MQ_nK17yHYE?...
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Free Speech Died in the Library | Short Circuit 442
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Hunting ICE, unremarkable arson, and lewdness at the Founding. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Hunting ICE, unremarkable arson, and lewdness at the Founding. - Institute for Justice
New on the Short Circuit podcast: The First Amendment is for listeners too. Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are sold as a targeted tool to […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Rights for Listeners. With Justin Pearson & Ari Bargil! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 441 | Rights for Listeners - Institute for Justice
We often hear of the right to speak. But what about the right to listen? The Ninth Circuit just reaffirmed that listeners have First Amendment […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Dog toys, DoorDash, and unregistered foreign agents. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Dog toys, DoorDash, and unregistered foreign agents. - Institute for Justice
Qualified Immunity Victory! In April 2024, North Carolina sheriff’s deputies looking for a suspected thief conducted a terrifying midnight raid on the home of Avery […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Our Latest Podcast: The Mystery of Academic Freedom With Keith Neely & Benjamin Marsh! youtu.be/M75zFPJcL2Q?...
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The "Stop Woke Act" and Academic Freedom | Short Circuit 440
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
The latest Unpublished Opinions, @ij.org's roundtable podcast: The Batman Approach With Kirby Thomas West, Josh Windham & John Wrench! ij.org/podcasts/unp...
ij.org
Unpublished Opinions 26 | The Batman Approach - Institute for Justice
John Wrench is joined by Kirby West and Josh Windham to discuss some of the major threats to liberty, including warrantless mass surveillance, the facial/as-applied […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Prosecutor professional misconduct, detention without bond, wanton statch interpretation. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Prosecutor professional misconduct, detention without bond, wanton statch interpretation. - Institute for Justice
New case! Last fall, masked, heavily armed CBP agents raided IJ client Leo Feler’s property in Chicago because they saw some construction workers out in […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Adams, Jefferson & The Declaration. With Timothy Sandefur! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 439 | Adams, Jefferson, and The Declaration - Institute for Justice
Tim Sandefur joins us to discuss his latest (and tenth!) book “Proclaiming Liberty,” all about the Declaration of Independence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: An iPod, a walrus, and the Almighty Vice Lord Nation. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
An iPod, a walrus, and the Almighty Vice Lord Nation. - Institute for Justice
Victory! This week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the “open fields doctrine” under its state constitution, ruling in favor of IJ’s clients the Punxsutawney and […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Men in black and ultra vires Presidents. With John Korevec & Prashanta Augustine! youtu.be/z4Fa6JM3tEo?...
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Federal employees threaten co-worker at his doorstep | Short Circuit 438
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Financial surveillance, impaired contracts, and games of gotcha. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Financial surveillance, impaired contracts, and games of gotcha. - Institute for Justice
New on the Short Circuit podcast: Privately nondelegating horse puns. New case! In 2021, IJ client Gino Fiermonte, an electrician at Long Island MacArthur Airport, […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Privately Racing the Nondelegation Doctrine. With Rebecca Furdek & Marco Vasquez! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 437 | Privately Racing the Nondelegation Doctrine - Institute for Justice
An old friend rejoins the show, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020. It’s been trotting around the federal courts of appeals for a […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Soccer hooligans, sticky fingers at the FBI, and juries for the HHS. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Soccer hooligans, sticky fingers at the FBI, and juries for the HHS. - Institute for Justice
Cert granted! This week, SCOTUS took up IJ case Hoffman v. WBI Energy Transportation, which pits North Dakota ranchers against a private pipeline company that […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Our Latest Podcast: 1776 & Judicial Review With Sam Gedge, we reflect on how the seeds of judicial review were planted in 1776, Sam's "oral argument" on the 1776 Penn Constitution, & how beating the British was like Dan Marino beating the '85 Bears. ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 435 | 1776 and Judicial Review - Institute for Justice
Happy America’s 250th! To celebrate, we’re doing things the IJ Way, tying in the events of 1776 to something that emerged a few years later […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
It's the latest #BoundByOath! The 4th Amendment requires "oath or affirmation". Yet, the Supreme Court effectively read those words out of the Constitution in 1960. The Court has a chance, though, to fix its mistake. Will it? Learn the whole story here. ij.org/podcasts/bou...
ij.org
Oath or Affirmation. (And Treason.) - Institute for Justice
On this episode, we recover a lost part of the Fourth Amendment that the Supreme Court essentially erased in 1960. In the case of Jones […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Cocaine & waffles, voter rolls, and deeding the farm. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Cocaine & waffles, voter rolls, and deeding the farm. - Institute for Justice
New case! The Texas Constitution says that “monopolies are contrary to the genius of a free government, and shall never be allowed.” And yet! Waxahachie […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Our Latest Podcast: The Police Are the Emergency. With Michael Soyfer & McCarley Maddock! www.youtube.com/watch?v=h84M...
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Two Cases: Police Stand Off and Former Prisoners Try to Sue Over Jail Debt | Short Circuit 434
YouTube video by Short Circuit
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
It's the latest Unpublished Opinions, @ij.org's roundtable podcast! With guest host @pjaicomo.bsky.social plus Diana Simpson & Anya Bidwell. There's much talk of state capture, the ABA, the uselessness of the 3d year of law school, & liberalism (properly understood). ij.org/podcasts/unp...
ij.org
Unpublished Opinions 25 | Pulling Up the Ladder - Institute for Justice
With guest host Patrick Jaicomo, he and IJ’s Anya Bidwell and Diana Simpson conspire on how best to keep the competition out of their guild. […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: 𝐵𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒, wellness checks, and forfeiture interrogatories. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Bleak House, wellness checks, and forfeiture interrogatories. - Institute for Justice
New on the Short Circuit podcast: Our old friend Brian Morris rejoins the show for exoneration litigation. And Belmont picks. Lightning victory! During the pandemic, […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Hard but not Impossible. The return of Brian Morris! (And his racing picks.) Plus Anya Bidwell! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 431 | Hard but not Impossible - Institute for Justice
We welcome back a treasured many-times guest, the first time since he’s left IJ. Brian Morris served in our merry band of libertarian litigators for […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Stateless in Seattle With @danielznelson & @GrimHogun! youtu.be/wg5Smr19cpI?...
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Stateless Encampments and Native American Remains Recovery | Short Circuit 430
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
It's the latest episode of #BoundByOath! The story of 𝑃𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑚𝑎𝑛 abstention, the first of several abstention doctrines the Supreme Court invented to let federal judges decline to decide cases that they have jurisdiction to decide. ij.org/podcasts/bou...
ij.org
Needless Friction. And Treason. - Institute for Justice
On this episode: the story of Pullman abstention, the first of several abstention doctrines the Supreme Court invented to let federal judges decline to decide […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: SWAT damage, sloppy briefs, and forced confessions. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
SWAT damage, sloppy briefs, and forced confessions. - Institute for Justice
New case! Pennsylvania requires real estate brokers to maintain a physical office space even if they don’t need one and never use it. Indeed, IJ […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Our Latest Podcast: A Fifth of Circuit With Jessica Underwood & Christie Hebert! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 429 | A Fifth of Circuit - Institute for Justice
In our #12Months12Circuits series it’s time to drink an entire Fifth. Now, regular listeners will be very familiar with the Fifth Circuit’s waters and may […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: A camp chair, a shaking of faith, and a murder in front of a Waffle House. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
A camp chair, a shaking of faith, and a murder in front of a Waffle House. - Institute for Justice
Good news! With near-unanimous bipartisan support, the Colorado General Assembly this week passed HB26-1250, a civil forfeiture reform bill that closes a longstanding loophole in Colorado law allowing...
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Shopping With Roy Moore. With Suranjan Sen & Prashanta Augustine! youtu.be/_ZOhYK5riXg?...
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Your right to a machine gun? | Short Circuit 428
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: A late-night knock at the door, unregistered silencers, and a prison-drone conspiracy. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
A late-night knock at the door, unregistered silencers, and a prison-drone conspiracy. - Institute for Justice
This week on the Short Circuit podcast: Live from Michigan Law, it’s our Administrative Law-apalooza. With Professors Chris Walker & Nicholas Bagley and top admin […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Live at Michigan Law! With Chris Walker, Nicholas Bagley & Zach Larsen! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
While waiting for the running of this year's Kentucky Derby, why not check out our episode on the eve of last year's race? Among other highlights there's a dramatic reading of Hunter S. Thompson's classic "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent & Depraved." ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 374 | Content-Based Dancing - Institute for Justice
All kinds of constitutional goodies this week, from sovereign immunity to the First Amendment right to dance. But we begin with our annual Kentucky Derby […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Smart meters, bad metaphors, and the color of state law ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Smart meters, bad metaphors, and the color of state law - Institute for Justice
IJ is going to The Show for the 14th time! On Monday, the Supreme Court announced that it was granting review in the case of […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Can you distill whiskey in your own home now? With John Wrench & Joe Gay! youtu.be/F_wE_ZHjHXU?...
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Can you distill whiskey in your own home now? | Short Circuit 426
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
In the latest #UnpublishedOpinions, @ij.org's roundtable podcast, John Wrench, Kirby Thomas West & Sam Gedge reflect on conventional wisdom, when something is "over" in public interest litigation, and the horrors of using the wrong font. ij.org/podcasts/unp...
ij.org
Unpublished Opinions 24 | What If It’s Not Peyote? - Institute for Justice
John Wrench is joined by Sam Gedge and Kirby West for a session of hot takes, hard questions, and changed minds. The trio challenge received […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: Vigilantes, less-lethal munitions, and a bananas ID theft case. ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
Vigilantes, less-lethal munitions, and a bananas ID theft case. - Institute for Justice
New cert petition! In 1960, the Supreme Court as good as erased the oath-or-affirmation requirement from the Fourth Amendment, thereafter permitting warrants to issue based […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Our Latest Podcast: Live from Penn Law! With Professors Matt Wiener & Mitch Berman and Philly attorney Mike McGinley! ij.org/podcasts/sho...
ij.org
Short Circuit 425 | Live from Penn Law! - Institute for Justice
Short Circuit traveled to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where the student Federalist Society chapter graciously hosted us and allowed us to present a […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
This weekend, while contemplating what the justices will say about Rooker-Feldman abstention on Monday in TM v. U of MD Sys Corp, you could do worse than listening to the DEFINITIVE PODCAST on that, as John Marshall might say, treasonous doctrine. ij.org/podcasts/bou...
ij.org
Rooker and Feldman and Treason | Season 4, Ep. 1 - Institute for Justice
Next week, the Supreme Court is going to hear a huge civil rights case that no one is talking about—because the legal issue before the […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Our Latest Newsletter: ICE, AirPods, and the No Fly List ij.org/sc_newslette...
ij.org
ICE, AirPods, and the No Fly List - Institute for Justice
New Case Alert! Before dawn, Cathy George awakes to a squad of heavily armed officers banging on the door to her Georgia home and aiming […]
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Short Circuit @shortcircuitij.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Our Latest Podcast: No jury because defendant didn’t use the magic words. With Will Aronin & Andrew Ward! youtu.be/QnVL4HlRpZo?...
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No jury because defendant didn’t use the magic words | Short Circuit 424
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