The DC Circuit Appeals Court rules for accountability. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ 
Donate
Brennan Center for Justice
 
Drew Angerer/Getty
Last week, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution for his attempt to reverse the 2020 election. Thanks to this historic ruling, the criminal justice system remains a powerful tool for holding him accountable for his actions. More broadly, the decision upholds a fundamental democratic principle: no one is above the law.
For more expert analysis of the DC court’s ruling and the role the Supreme Court might play in Trump’s ongoing bid for immunity, watch a recording of our virtual panel discussion here.
A nationwide study by the Brennan Center reveals that law enforcement is freely using social media without appropriate restrictions and transparency rules. We reviewed the available policies for 328 police departments and found serious deficiencies that put free speech and privacy at risk. In new analyses, our experts highlight the common flaws in most departments’ existing policies and outline the best practices that should guide law enforcement’s use of social media in order to protect the public’s constitutional rights.
On Tuesday, the Brennan Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund presented closing arguments in a federal lawsuit challenging Texas’s sweeping 2021 voter suppression law. As several witnesses testified during the trial, Senate Bill 1 has made it harder to vote, particularly for communities of color and people with disabilities or limited English proficiency. It also imposes new burdens on election workers. As one of many antidemocratic laws spurred by false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, S.B. 1 illustrates the far-reaching harms of these new voting restrictions.
As President Joe Biden faces calls to federalize the Texas National Guard to end a standoff over access to the U.S.-Mexico border, he should think twice about doing so. Taking that step would require him to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law with tremendous potential for abuse that should be used only as a tool of last resort. Instead, Biden should continue trying to assert federal authority over Texas through less drastic means.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, election deniers tried to stop the certification of valid results — but their meddling didn't end there. While Congress later passed reforms to prevent such efforts at the federal level, Brennan Center experts reveal in a new article that the attacks on certification merely shifted to the local and state levels. However, such attempts to interfere with certification are nothing new, and long-standing safeguards are in place to stop them.
As much of society rapidly adopts new artificial intelligence tools, Congress must be proactive about doing the same to avoid falling behind. From making it easier for lawmakers to legislate on pressing issues to improving communication with constituents, AI has the potential to make Congress more productive and efficient. But as the new piece in our AI and Democracy series points out, these changes must be accompanied by security and privacy protections.

 
BRENNAN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
This Black History Month, the Brennan Center is celebrating the people who create a more inclusive democracy, such as John R. Lewis. Learn about the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act >>
 

 
Events
 
A President Is Not a King
Watch this timely discussion with the Brennan Center’s Michael Waldman, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, law professor Aziz Huq, and legal historian Holly Brewer as they analyze the importance of the DC Circuit Appeals Court’s ruling rejecting Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution. The defeat for Trump is a historic ruling on a question that judges have never fully addressed. The panelists consider Trump’s impending trial for the January 6 insurrection and other criminal prosecutions, as well as the role the Supreme Court may play. WATCH NOW
 
VIRTUAL EVENT: The Missing Constitutional Right
Wednesday, March 20, 3–4 p.m. ET
The right to vote is one of the foundations of democracy, yet it has never truly been available to all Americans. Author Richard Hasen argues in his new book, A Real Right to Vote, that a constitutional amendment would end tumultuous fights over the franchise for good. But could it be that simple? Join us for a live virtual event with Hasen and moderator Wilfred Codrington III in a discussion on how an amendment to the Constitution would enshrine the right to vote and what it would take to get there. RSVP TODAY
 
Produced in partnership with the NYU John Brademas Center

 
 
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
120 Broadway, Suite 1750 New York, NY 10271
646-292-8310
Want to change how you receive these emails or unsubscribe? Click here to update your preferences.
Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Website