Institute for Justice updates

Immunity & Accountability

Retaliatory Raid Leads To IJ Lawsuit

Ruth Herbel has lived in Marion for over 60 years. Rather than opt for a quiet retirement, she ran for and won a seat on the city council in 2019. Ruth’s focus on fighting what she saw as corruption brought her into opposition with Marion’s mayor and his allies. In August 2023, the small-town conflict in Marion exploded with retaliatory raids on the home of Ruth and the owner of a local newspaper. Government officials cannot use criminal investigations to silence their critics, so Ruth has teamed up with IJ to fight back.

First Amendment

Victory: Nazareth Repeals Ban on ‘For Sale’ Signs on Cars

When Will Cramer of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, wanted to sell his truck, he did what many people have done over the years—he placed a for-sale sign in the window while the truck was legally parked in front of his home in its usual spot. Then he received a ticket, which is when he learned that Nazareth criminalizes putting “For Sale” signs in the windows of vehicles parked on the street. Now, the Nazareth Borough Council has voted to repeal its ban in response to an IJ lawsuit.

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IJ Activism

Cutting Red Tape From Coast To Coast

IJ is always happy to sue the government to defend an entrepreneur’s right to earn an honest living. But as any small-business owner knows, there are countless government policies that may be technically constitutional yet still inflict death by a thousand cuts and make it difficult—if not impossible—for entrepreneurs to truly thrive. That’s where IJ’s Cities Work grassroots activism initiative comes in.

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WATCH: SWAT Raided Her Home. It Was The Wrong House.

IJ Podcasts

Beyond the Brief: Speaking for a Living and the First Amendment

Many people think of the First Amendment in the context of controversial speech on highly politicized issues. But did you know that some of the most important free speech cases today involve uncontroversial speech on issues that matter to ordinary Americans in their daily lives?

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Short Circuit: Facebook Comment Board of Appeals

We examine a free speech tussle between the National Institutes of Health and the animal rights folks at PETA.Then we discuss a First Amendment case from the D.C. Circuit which said that blocking certain hashtags isn’t necessarily right even when the posters say mean things.

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Champions for a Free and Just America

Your tax-deductible contribution helps IJ fight for Americans’ rights. IJ defends ordinary people who want to pursue their vision of the American Dream but find that the government is standing in their way. We stand with our clients no matter how long their cases take and we win nearly 75% of the time.

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