For the first Liberty & Law email of 2026, we're sharing our top victories, podcasts, and more from last year.
Immunity & Accountability
Unanimous Supreme Court Victory For Victims Of FBI Wrong-House Raid
On June 12, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the FBI wrong-house raid case Martin v. United States, earning IJ our third high court victory since 2024. The unanimous decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, holds that an innocent family—Trina Martin, Toi Cliatt, and Trina’s now-14-year-old son, Gabe—can continue their fight to hold the FBI accountable for raiding their home.
In August, IJ launched the Plate Privacy Project, a nationwide campaign to stop the unrestrained use of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in thousands of American communities. The campaign, part of IJ’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, brings IJ’s trademark combination of cutting-edge litigation, boots-on-the-ground activism, bipartisan legislative advocacy (including a new model bill), and media capabilities to oppose this new and growing form of warrantless mass surveillance.
Stephen Lara’s life savings were seized in February 2021. IJ made sure Stephen got his money back, and—after nearly four years of litigation—a Nevada court has ruled that the government violated state law when it took his money. It’s a landmark ruling that will have repercussions across the Silver State and beyond, reining in a pernicious legal loophole that law enforcement uses to disregard property rights.
Victory! Farmers Vindicate The Right To A Real Judge
Sun Valley Orchards is a fourth-generation family farm. Its owners, brothers Joe and Russell Marino, grow vegetables—including peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and asparagus. Or, rather, they did, before they shut down in the face of over $500,000 in penalties imposed by the U.S. Department of Labor. So it was a big deal when the 3rd Circuit held that forcing the farm to defend itself in the agency’s court violated the constitutional provision that guarantees an independent judiciary.
IJ Saves Donut Mural, Shows Town’s Argument Was Full Of Holes
Here’s some tasty news from New Hampshire: Leavitt’s Country Bakery won its fight to keep its donut mural. And the town of Conway just got a First Amendment beatdown it won’t soon forget. Bakery owner Sean Young let local high school students paint a mural for their senior project. The students whipped up a colorful mountain landscape made of donuts and muffins. Customers ate it up, but the town’s zoning officer declared it illegal.
In 2025, IJ's fight for constitutional rights scored big articles in important outlets. Here is a sample of the positive press IJ received in major outlets without paywalls.
Bound By Oath: Everything You Eat, Drink, and Wear
Officials must obtain a warrant before forcibly entering a home. That rule goes back to the Founding. But a ruling in 1967 created an ahistorical exception. We interview the lawyer who (unsuccessfully) argued that case.
Beyond The Brief: Another Game Warden Caught Spying
Dalton Boley thought he found a refuge for him and his children in 10 acres of woods by his Alabama home. That is, until government officials started showing up on the land without a warrant.
Two IJ attorneys discuss how the skills you learn in theater play into being a good lawyer. It’s not just gesticulating to the jury, it’s understanding how people act, how they respond to subtle clues, and most of all how to tell a story.
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 more than 70% of the time.
