Welcome back. Pacific Legal Foundation kicked off 2024 in the best possible way—with an exciting argument at the Supreme Court. More on that below.  

First, a quick note: The Docket will be changing this year as we experiment with format and frequency in response to reader feedback. We’ll be sending it biweekly instead of weekly, to start. As always, our goal is to bring you stories about threats to Americans’ constitutional rights and the fight for freedom in courts across the country.

Q&A with the Sheetz legal team: How did oral arguments go?

“I had a really good feeling about this case early on,” Paul Beard, George Sheetz’s attorney, told us after oral arguments on Tuesday. In Sheetz v. El Dorado County, California retiree George Sheetz is challenging the County’s unreasonable conditions for building permits.

Paul and Brian Hodges spoke to us about the Justices’ questions on Tuesday, how the legal team prepared, and what winning would mean for George.

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Bloomberg Law: Pacific Legal Foundation aims to extend Supreme Court win streak

“The Pacific Legal Foundation will attempt to extend its remarkable success at the US Supreme Court when it presents its latest case to the justices,” Bloomberg Law reported on the eve of Sheetz oral arguments.

Speaking to Bloomberg Law about PLF’s recent victories, PLF president Steven Anderson said it’s not necessarily “people appointed by a particular political party” that are siding with PLF. It’s just that PLF’s cases “resonate with people in their gut.”

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The Hill: Republican governors should end racial preferences at the state level

Governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Alabama’s Kay Ivey have been making splashy headlines for attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at companies like Disney—but shouldn’t they take care of their own backyards first? The laws of their own states allow racial preferences in education, employment, and public contracting.

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American Habits: South Dakota game warden trespasses on private property to harass hunters

James Meyer and his father often allowed hunters to use their plot of land in South Dakota for hunting trips. But during one trip, a state game warden showed up without a warrant and demanded the hunters prove they had their hunting licenses.

When the Meyers learned of the trespass, they demanded that the warden leave. Instead, the warden got the federal Bureau of Land Management involved.

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Dr. Drew: ‘Many light bulbs went off during the pandemic’

Radio host Dr. Drew told PLF’s Joe Luppino-Esposito he was alarmed by the government’s use of emergency powers during the pandemic. “I spent my time shaking my head in astonishment for two years,” he said. What bothered him—and other Americans—was “the unlimited powers we grant to these public health officials,” Dr. Drew said.

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