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Institute for Justice updates
Fourth Amendment
Federal Court Halts Ruinous Financial Surveillance for El Paso Businesses
IJ has convinced a third court to halt a new financial surveillance rule that would spy on people making ordinary financial transactions and bury small businesses in paperwork. Federal courts in San Antonio and San Diego have already paused the unprecedented requirement as likely unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches, or as likely illegal for failing to comply with laws governing the actions of federal agencies. But those orders didn't cover everyone affected, so IJ filed a third challenge.
“I can breathe easier today knowing that I won’t be up until late in the night filling out paperwork and losing customers,” said IJ client Ashley Light. “There is no reason for the government to treat my regular customers making small dollar transactions as suspicious. I do hope that the court will quickly consider giving every business in Texas the same relief.”
Texas Independent Journalist to Start Trial to Hold Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Accountable for Retaliatory Arrest
This week, IJ client Justin Pulliam, an independent journalist in Texas, will go to trial to hold Fort Bend County and its sheriff’s officers accountable for violating his constitutional rights—including his First Amendment rights to film police and speak without being arrested for what he says. Justin believes that local government has the greatest impact on our daily lives and that our freedom depends on its transparency and accountability. He has made it his mission to document the actions of police and elected officials across Texas, but that upset officials in Fort Bend County. They retaliated by arresting and prosecuting Justin. Justin and IJ are fighting to defend the rights of citizen journalists and hold government accountable for violating those rights.
IJ Joins First Amendment Fight Against Louisiana’s ‘Buffer Law’
IJ submitted an amicus brief urging the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling that blocks law enforcement from enforcing Louisiana’s “police buffer law.” That law makes it illegal for anyone to “knowingly or intentionally approach within twenty-five feet of a peace officer who is lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties.” People have the right to observe—and record—the police.
Beyond the Brief: The Scrappy Squad on a Mission to Free Cities
You shouldn’t need a law degree to start a barber shop, but entrepreneurs across the country face steep fees, delays, and confusing requirements before they ever even open. That’s why, in addition to suing cities when they violate people’s rights, IJ works with cities to make it cheaper, faster, and simpler to start a small business.
Is speaking to a yoga class speech? The Ninth Circuit recently proclaimed that the answer to that question is “yes.” Then we go to Arkansas where some hemp producers challenged the state’s ban on most hemp products.
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