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Adam Davidson

@sonofdavid.bsky.social
604 followers 489 following 92 posts

Assistant Professor at UChicago Law. Researching police, prisons, abolition, and the 13th amendment. Views, for better or worse, are my own. Things I wrote: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAu… Background by Oscar Joyo

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Reposted by Adam Davidson
Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 14/09/2026
Cis people do not understand how much trans people's rights have regressed in just 5 years. 5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions. 19 states banned legal recognition 21 states have bathroom bans 8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs 25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
In @statecourtreport.org today discussing state pushes to go beyond the 13th amendment to ban slavery and involuntary servitude with no exceptions and what needs to happen to turn those rights on paper into on-the-ground change. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
statecourtreport.org
Transforming the Modern Push to Abolish Slavery and Involuntary Servitude
Nine states have amended their constitutions to eliminate or narrow the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The exception exists in the federal 13th Amendment.
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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: state constitutions provide resources & affordances for progressive politics that have yet to be fully exploited. They're all easier to change than the federal one & many have been updated to reflect emerging problems...y'know, like a democracy should.
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Ann Monster Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
It's 5 4 in that there are 4 votes that the constitution does not mandate birthright citizenship.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Congratulations!
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Ann Monster Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Ilhan Omar represents the best of what America can be.
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Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
My colleague Nora Freeman Engstrom has put together a guide for bringing tort suits against ICE law.stanford.edu/wp-content/u...
law.stanford.edu
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Every time I think I’ve seen the worst qualified immunity decision I can imagine, the federal courts release some new, fresh hell on my psyche.
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Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 08/05/2026
Meanwhile in Ohio
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Eliza Orlins @elizaorlins.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Hi. There is some drama over on LawyerThreads. There’s a lawyer (who is also very active on Facebook) who is out in the world saying that the law is neutral. Just want to chime in as a career public defender and say THE LAW IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN FUCKING NEUTRAL. 🧵
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Charlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
There is *a lot* to unpack here but I have to go meet with students so I'll just say: not enough "yikes" in the world.
To satisfy the second and third preconditions—politically cohesive voting by the minority and racial-bloc voting by the majority—the plaintiffs must provide an analysis that controls for party affiliation, showing that voters engage in racial-bloc voting that cannot be explained by partisan affiliation.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
I assume Georgetown will do the same as other schools when a professor comes out as a bigot, and make sure they don’t teach any mandatory classes. It’s an imperfect solution (and arguably a reward depending on how the person feels about teaching), but it does put a wall up between them and students.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 28/04/2026
there is something genuinely clarifying and useful about this kind of stuff. they are totally hoods off and proud of it, which means we should not hesitate to describe them accordingly
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Charles Johnson @charles.littlegreenfootballs.com · 20/04/2026
Did I just argue with a joke?

Part of a Bluesky educational series
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
I really wish these people had no power so that I could enjoy how hilarious this is instead of being terrified for what it means about how they’re going to further destroy our public health system.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Donald Trump 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 Terrence Howard Making up fake ways to do math that make no damn sense.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 22/04/2026
i think it is cool that the president of the united states routinely slurs black people as biological inferior
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Daniel Solove @daniel-solove.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Interested in becoming a law professor focusing on privacy and AI? Apply as soon as possible to GW Law’s VAP in Privacy & Technology Law. We start reviewing applications soon: www.law.gwu.edu/privacy-and-...
law.gwu.edu
Privacy and Technology Law Fellowship | GW Law | The George Washington University
The Privacy and Technology Law Fellowship is designed to assist attorneys who are interested in pursuing a legal academic career in an area of privacy and technology law.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
This is now so quaint that I saw the “Secretary of Education Omarosa” joke in the corner and my first thought was that she seems way too qualified and reasonable to be appointed now.
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Andrew Solender @andrewsolender.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
By my count, there are now over 50 House Democrats, along with two Senate Democrats, who have called for Trump to be impeached or removed via the 25th Amendment for his post on Iran. More here: www.axios.com/2026/04/07/t...
House
1. Ansari
2. Omar
3. Pocan
4. Tlaib
5. DeGette
6. Thanedar
7. Stansbury
8. Khanna
9. Frost
10. Julie Johnson
11. Olszewski
12. Ramirez
13. Nikema Williams
14. Moulton
15. Pressley
16. Summer Lee
17. Magaziner
18. McBride
19. McCollum
20. Swalwell
21. Liccardo
22. Dexter
23. Ocasio-Cortez
24. Robert Garcia
25. Menendez
26. Castro
27. McClain Delaney
28. Fletcher
29. Simon
30. Watson Coleman
31. Mike Thompson
32. Hayes
33. Foushee
34. Ritchie Torres
35. Sylvia Garcia36. Leger Fernandez
37. Pingree
38. Tonko
39. Lofgren
40. McGarvey
41. Dan Goldman
42. Espaillat
43. DeSaulnier
44. Schakowsky
45. Cohen
46. Jacobs
47. Trahan
48. Gomez
49. Grijalva
50. Sanchez
51. Matsui
52. Tokuda
53. Bonamici
54. Jayapal
55. Min

Senate
1. Markey
2. Wyden
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Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 07/04/2026
More, faster.
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gelbach @gelbach.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
This is an appropriate statement.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
If you find yourself plotting political violence online, best case scenario you are talking to a Fed. Worst case scenario is you are involved in a Pooh Shiesty wearing an ankle monitor to the robbery stupid-level plot that could get people—including you—hurt for no good reason. Don’t do it.
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 03/04/2026
Right after they finish with trans youth, their moving on to target youth with ADHD and autism to satisfy their austerity driven eugenics project. They don't even dignify us with new talking points.
​A screenshot of a mobile webpage from The Telegraph's Health section. The headline reads, "Have mental health labels like ADHD and autism gone too far? Some experts think so," followed by a subheadline stating, "As a new report reveals skyrocketing autism and ADHD rates, some experts believe self-diagnoses are overshadowing those in real need of help."
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Despite coming out on April 1, this is not an April Fool’s joke.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Here, that means that it is not costless for SCOTUS to strike down this law. The more protests, op-eds, academic work, popular media, political organizing, etc. makes clear just how costly striking it down would be; the less obvious it becomes to SCOTUS that it’s worth spending the capital to do it.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
So if you’re a lone district court judge who’s going to do something that might make the President order his subordinates (including all of the law enforcement officials that implement your orders) to stop listening to you, you better make your shot count.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
That’s part of the reason courts have been so hesitant to do things like hold government lawyers in contempt. If you’re a judge, all you’ve got is your words and the hope that other people have enough respect for your position that they’ll do what you say.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Admittedly, I wouldn’t predict that’s what will happen, but also the secret is that courts generally hate making powerful actors like states do big, policy shifting things. So they prefer to set litigants down a road and hope the litigant will get the hint to walk to the end of it on their own.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
That is an important distinction because it means there is still time to put pressure on the courts so that they realize this law should survive strict scrutiny. It is still possible for the lower courts to do the analysis SCOTUS requires and uphold the ban. Then SCOTUS might just let the case go.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I guess I’ll join the chorus of lawyers explaining that SCOTUS didn’t strike down CO’s law yesterday, they said courts have to more closely interrogate it before upholding it. This, to be clear, is BAD for anyone who thinks CO’s ban is good and legal. But the fight in the courts is not over.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
After the argument it’s hard to see the first possibility, but it says a lot about the state of the Court if they can’t even get unanimity in the “does the universal citizenship amendment actually create a huge class of noncitizens and we just didn’t realize it for 150 years” case.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
When they granted cert, I thought they were either seriously considering limiting birthright citizenship, or wanted to tell a Brown v. Board, 9-0 unity story with a politically salient, but legally slam dunk case.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
A related fact people are surprised by: I’m part of the first generation of my family to be an equal citizen of this country. I was born in 1989.
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Reposted by Adam Davidson
Kyle Barry @kylecbarry.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
BREAKING: The PA Supreme Court holds that mandatory life without parole sentences for all "felony murder" convictions -- a sentence more than 1,000 people in PA are serving -- violates the state constitution's "cruel" punishment ban. This is GROUNDBREAKING: www.pacourts.us/assets/opini...
CHIEF JUSTICE TODD           OPINION No. 3 WAP 2024 Appeal from the Order of the Superior Court entered June 13, 2023, at No. 1008 WDA 2021, Affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County entered December 19, 2016, at No. CP-02-CR-0016878-2014. : : : : : : : : : : : ARGUED:  October 8, 2024 DECIDED:  MARCH 26, 2026 In this appeal by allowance, we granted allocatur to consider whether a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for a felony murder conviction violates the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article I, Section 13 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.1  For the reasons that follow, we determine that a mandatory life without parole sentence for all felony murder convictions, absent an assessment of culpability, is inconsistent with the protections bestowed upon our citizens under the “cruel punishments” clause of our Commonwealth’s organic charter.2  Thus, we reverse the order of the Superior Court, vacate Appellant’s judgment of sentence, and remand for resentencing.  However, as we have done under similar circumstances, we stay our order for 120 days to provide a reasonable amount of time for the General Assembly to consider remedial measures.
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R. S. DIENG @drlandislife.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UN votes to recognise slavery as 'gravest crime against humanity'
The landmark resolution calls for an apology and contributions to a reparations fund, without specifying an amount.
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Alison Siegler @alisonsiegler.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Incredibly excited and proud to share that last night, the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic’s groundbreaking litigation to end ATF’s discriminatory stash house stings—spanning four years and dozens of clients—was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver! Watch the segment here at 9:05 (1 of 4)
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
The Court had done much less of this sort of reaching out to bolster qualified immunity post-George Floyd. If they’re back to their old habits, we’re seeing yet another line of attempted retrenchment from that brief flash of civil rights gains.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
At some point I want to collect all of the warnings that the liberal justices have been putting into their dissents about the conservative majority. This one’s less dramatic than some others, but Sotomayor noting that this is a “resurgence” of protecting violent cops is right.
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Isaac Chotiner @ichotiner.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
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State Court Report @statecourtreport.org · 13/03/2026
Are you a law student or recent graduate looking for clerkship opportunities? State Court Report is hosting a free virtual event on everything you need to know about clerking on a state supreme court. Judges from high courts across the country will share insights. RSVP today:
brennancenter.org
What to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme Court
Judges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
I consider reading your rambling as additional helpful reading, so thank you for the suggestions on all fronts
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Well that’s fascinating. Who would you recommend I start reading to learn more about this? Because the idea that the US saw the risk of (in its view) biased use of a criminal legal system and decided the best course of action was to opt out is, you might’ve guessed, relevant to my interests.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
If you want to learn more about how all this works, you can read my articles Administrative Enslavement, and No Exceptions: The New Movement to Abolish Slavery and Involuntary Servitude. /🧵 www.columbialawreview.org/content/admi... lawreview.uchicago.edu/print-archiv...
columbialawreview.org
ADMINISTRATIVE ENSLAVEMENT - Columbia Law Review
Introduction In 2020, there were at least 600,000 slaves in the United States. They cooked. They cleaned. They did building maintenance and repair work. Some fought fires. And others, harking back to ...
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The TL;DR here is simple. If Polis believes his prisons don’t use involuntary servitude, there are lots of ways to give legal effect to that belief.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Of course, much of this was taken out of the governor’s hands by Colorado voters in 2018 when they passed a slavery and involuntary servitude ban without an Except Clause. My point is that Polis is leaving the creation of a state free of involuntary servitude to the courts, but he doesn’t have to.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
And in Colorado, the threat of, and potential deterrent effect of, damages seems particularly acute because it is one of the few states that abolished qualified immunity as a matter of state law.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
A skeptic might wonder why any of this would make a difference. My answer to that is simple: civil rights damages. If incarcerated people have Thirteenth Amendment rights, or similar rights as a matter of state law, then both federal and state actions provide damages.
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Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Likewise, prosecutors’ offices could make clear that the punishment of involuntary servitude is not one that they seek. And in the case of plea bargains, they and defense attorneys could negotiate that the punishment of servitude is explicitly excluded as part of the bargain.
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