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Institute for Justice updates
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Fourth Amendment
U.S. Citizen Demands End to Unconstitutional Raids and Detentions
Leo Garcia Venegas is an American citizen and construction worker in south Alabama. Even though he has done nothing suspicious and is working on private property, Leo has been repeatedly detained (once violently) by federal officers enforcing immigration laws. Even when he presents his Alabama-issued REAL ID, officers refuse to accept that it's real. In the United States, people cannot be detained for no reason, and the government cannot invade private property without a warrant. So, to stop the violations of his Fourth Amendment rights, Leo and IJ filed a federal class action lawsuit.
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Ameal Woods and Jordan Davis ([link removed] )
Civil Forfeiture
Texas Appeals Court Reverses Forfeiture of Innocent Americans’ Life Savings and Orders Their Money Returned
A Texas appeals court reversed a forfeiture judgment against IJ clients Ameal Woods and Jordan Davis, ordering the state to return the couple's money. The case started in 2019, when Ameal and Jordan decided to pursue their dream of owning their own trucking business. After the couple saved more than $40,000, Ameal drove from Natchez, Mississippi, to Houston to buy a used tractor-trailer. But when he arrived in Harris County, police pulled Ameal over and took his cash.
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Mario Rosales ([link removed] )
Fourth Amendment
Victory! Court Rules for Louisiana Motorists in Unconstitutional Traffic Stop and Roadside Interrogation
Three years ago, Louisiana police officers pulled over Mario Rosales and Gracie Lasyone for failing to signal (dashcam footage proves they did signal). For 20 minutes the officers separately interrogated them about drugs, fishing for crimes that the officers had no cause to investigate. Mario, Gracie, and IJ sued over the unconstitutional traffic stop, and last week we had a major victory in their case when a district court denied the officers qualified immunity.
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WATCH: Behind the Scenes of a Free Speech Court Victory ([link removed] )
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IJ Podcasts
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Beyond The Brief: A Pipeline Demanded Their Land for Pennies. They Fought Back.
When the government, or even a private company, takes your land using eminent domain, the law promises you just compensation. But what about the money you spent on legal fees fighting for your fair share? For a group of North Dakotans facing off against a natural gas company, the answer could be: Tough luck.
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Short Circuit: Supreme Court Preview from UNC
It’s our annual Supreme Court preview, recorded live at the University of North Carolina. Get ready for substance v. procedure, the Heck bar, civil forfeiture, and unconstitutional conditions.
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Short Circuit: Voting and Carrying in History
We discuss two opinions that dig into history, one on voting rights the other on gun rights.
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