Challenge to L.A. Closure of Gun Stores as Part of General "Non-Essential Business" Closure

It's Brandy v. Villanueva (C.D. Cal.), just filed today by the Second Amendment Foundation, the NRA, the California Gun Rights Foundation, and the...

Texas Sued Over Coronavirus-Related Restrictions on Abortions

Here's the motion for a preliminary injunction; here's the heart of the argument (I hope to also post key parts of the state's brief, when that is...

"Senator, I Have Worked with Professors at the University of Pennsylvania," I Say

For the underlying story, see here: "When I left the United States Senate, I became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania," Biden said. "And...

Delaware Governor Changes Order, Allows Gun Shops to Remain Open,

WBOC (Tom Lehman) reports that the new rule provides, Firearms dealers may conduct sales of firearms, ammunition, and other goods directly related to...

Federal Lawsuit in N.J. Challenges Total Closure of Gun Stores

From the motion for an injunction in Kashinsky v. Murphy , filed today in federal court in New Jersey, and supported by the Firearms Policy Coalition...

N.H. Court Rejects Challenge to Ban on Gatherings of 50 or More People

This came in yesterday's Binford v. Sununu, written by state court Judge John C. Kissinger. First, the court concluded (correctly, I think) that the...

Lawyer Punished for Biased Comments About Judge in E-Mail to His Own Clients

This is what happened in People v. Abrams , decided by the Colorado Supreme Court Feb. 12, but just posted on Westlaw a few days ago. Colorado lawyer...

No Suspension Without Hearing in University Student Disciplinary Proceedings

In Doe v. Baum (2018), the Sixth Circuit held that the Due Process Clause secures a right to cross-examine witnesses in public university disciplinary...

Coronavirus Deaths: 6th Day of ~700/Day in Italy, 3rd Day of ~600 in Spain, 3rd Day of ~210 in France, 2nd Day of ~235 in U.S.

Data from WorldoMeter. Good news, such as it is, is that Italy seems to have stabilized, jury still out on the others. Over the last few days, the per...

Justice Department Filing Against Treating Male-to-Female Transgender Athletes as Women

From the Justice Department's Statement of Interest filed yesterday in Soule v. Connecticut Ass'n of Schools, Inc. ; I expect there'll be a response...

"From Now On, Reusable Bags Are Prohibited and All Regulations on Plastic Bag Bans Are Lifted"

From WCVB.com; thanks to InstaPundit for the pointer. "Boston Mayor Marty Walsh had previously announced the same measures in the city," and New...

Some Churches "Continue Holding Large Gatherings Despite Coronavirus Warnings"

Mike Stunson (McClatchy) has a story on this; an excerpt: More than 1,800 people attended services for [Life Tabernacle Church in Pennsylvania, led...

Can an Epidemic Justify Temporarily Forbidding Abortions (Except to Protect Life or Health of the Woman)?

Ohio and Texas seem to be including abortion clinics as parts of their general shutdown of "non-essential or elective surgeries and procedures" (to...

Federal Court: Now Is Not the Best Time to Ask Courts to Resolve "Minor Differences"

In Harnois v. Univ. of Mass. at Dartmouth (D. Mass.), plaintiff sued alleging wrongful Title IX discipline, and largely defeated a motion to dismiss....

Can't Seal Police Abuse Settlement Amount Just Because Beneficiary is a Minor

In Monday's Bradley v. Ackal (5th Cir. 2020), written by Judge James E. Graves, Jr., Shandell Marie Bradley sued the Iberia Parish Sheriff and...

How's Work?

Are you working remotely as a result of the epidemic? Are you still going in to work? Have you been laid off, or even lost your job more permanently?...

Pennsylvania Governor Reverses Course, Exempts Some Firearms Transactions from General Lockdown

The new policy, updated this afternoon, continues to include sporting goods stores, alongside very many other establishments, on a long list of closed...

Gave Blood Today

Ninth Circuit Does Oral Argument by Videoconferencing

At least judging by the Ninth Circuit oral argument video site, the video below seems to show the first such argument (held yesterday) stemming from...

Say Also a Word of Thanks to the Technologists

People have been speaking recently about the importance of workers in the seemingly unglamorous jobs, e.g.: [W]ho now is more important than the...

Ubuntu Linux 12.04 Was Called … Precise Pangolin

Unfortunately, the B versions were Breezy Badger and Bionic Beaver; no Bubonic Bat. (More on the Possibly Perilous Pangolin here.)

Spain Coronavirus Death Rate Over the Last 2 Days Comparable to Italy's, 40% Addition to Usual Total Death Rate

According to Worldometers, Spain had 391 coronavirus deaths yesterday and 539 today (recall that it's tomorrow over there now). Italy's has averaged...

"One … Trial Carries on While the Rest of the Justice System [in Southern Florida] Has Shut Down"

David Oskar Marcus (SDFLA Blog) reports (thanks to Howard Bashman at How Appealing for the pointer): As districts around the country issue orders...

"It Is Their Care in All the Ages to Take the Buffet and Cushion the Shock."

The present unpleasantness—like other such social disruptions—made me think again about the people who make the infrastructure run: Both those who...

Unicorns, Coronavirus, and Emergencies

From Judge Steven C. Seeger (N.D. Ill.) in Art Ask Agency, Inc. v. [Various Defendants] (decided Wednesday): This case involves counterfeit unicorn...

Owner of DERBY-PIE Trademark Can't Stop Kentucky Newspaper from Discussing Other Derby Pies

From Thursday's opinion by Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings (W.D. Ky.) in Rupp v. Courier Journal, Inc. : Plaintiff owns DERBY-PIE® (the "Mark"), a...

"Lakewood [N.J.] Cops Break Up 17 Gatherings"

NJ 101.5 (Dan Alexander) reports: Police on Tuesday night broke up two weddings at the Lake Terrace and Fountain Ballroom that each had more than 50...

"Pentecostal Pastor Won't Stop Church for COVID-19"

So reports Christianity Today (Daniel Silliman): The Oneness Pentecostal congregation met on Tuesday, despite the declaration of a state-wide public...

Lawsuit Challenging N.H. Order Banning Gatherings of 50 or More People

You can see the governor's order, the motion for a temporary restraining order, and the governor's objection to the motion. The judge denied the TRO...

New Jersey Attorney General: Employers May Have to Restrict Employees' Saying "Chinese Virus"

From a document just released by New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, endorsed by N.J. Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal: (emphasis added): What are...

"Mass Prayer Gathering … in Bangladesh to Read 'Healing Verses' Against Covid-19"

Agence France-Press reports: A massive coronavirus prayer session with tens of thousands of devotees sparked an outcry in Bangladesh Wednesday as the...

Supreme Court Extends Cert. Filing Deadline by 2 Months

An order issued today: In light of the ongoing public health concerns relating to COVID-19, the following shall apply to cases prior to a ruling on a...

Ninth Circuit Allowing Video Oral Argument

At least two orders from last week state, The court understands that local health directives, personal preference, and other conditions may make...

Police Disperse Large Outdoor Orthodox Jewish Prayer Group in Brooklyn

The New York Post (Yaron Steinbuch) reports.

Best Substitute for Yeast in Bread Machines?

I've seen various online recommendations for how to substitute other leavening agents for yeast in various bread recipes, but I'd love to hear any...

Fourth Circuit Holds Video Oral Argument

A video recording apparently won't be available, but you can hear the audio below (or here):   I understand the lawyers were arguing from different...

Maine Voters Supported Removing Religious/Philosophical Exemptions to Immunization Mandate, 73%-27% on March 3

From the Bangor Daily News, with 97.4% of precincts reporting: Question 1: Vaccine Referendum Do you want to reject the new law that removes religious...

Comedian Ordered Not to Post Anything "That Would Suggest to Prospective Employers That They Should Not Hire … or Book" Her Comedian Ex

You'd think that a story that more or less begins, "Two lesbian comedians walk into a courtroom" would be funnier, but unfortunately it's not (except...

"Demand for Guns Crashes Pennsylvania State Police Background Check System"

Lehigh Valley Live (Rudy Miller) reports, citing this Pennsylvania State Police press release: Technology challenges and a surge in requests resulted...

"Cops Break up 2 Large Weddings for Defying Coronavirus Rules"

NJ.com (Avalon Zoppo) reports: Two weddings in Lakewood were broken up by police Tuesday night as state officials continued to warn against large...

Online Notaries?

According to notarize.com, online notarization is allowed in Virginia, Montana, Texas, Nevada, Minnesota, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, and...

Massachusetts Appeals Court Moves to Phone Arguments

From a letter dated last Friday: To minimize and allay concern about exposure to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the Appeals Court is hereby ordering that all...

Tomorrow, Reported Coronavirus Deaths in Italy (Pop. 60M) Likely to Surpass China (Pop 1380M)

This is relying on the data on WorldoMeters.info, which reports 475 new deaths yesterday in Italy, for a total of 2978, and 11 new deaths in China,...

Why I'm Not (Yet?) Much Worried About the Civil Liberties Restrictions Flowing from the Coronavirus Response

The coronavirus epidemic has led to major restrictions on our freedom to assemble, on our right to gather for religious worship, on freedom to operate...

Federal Lawsuit Against Pro-Palestinian / Anti-Semitic Protesters Outside Synagogue

I've been following an interesting case, Gerber v. Herskovitz, No. 19-cv-13726 (E.D. Mich.), and the ACLU of Michigan just filed an excellent amicus...

Italian Daily Death Rate Up 20% Because of Coronavirus, Lombardy Up About 80%

Italy's population is about 60 million, and its normal death rate is 10.6 per 1000, for about 640,000 deaths per year, or about 1750 per day; the 350...

Maine Island Forbids Entry (Including to Part-Time Residents and Property Owners)

I quote key parts of the proclamation below; for more, see this Courier-Gazette (Stephen Betts) article (which also notes that "The island has an...

Is Coronavirus "an Excuse for Non-Performance of a Commercial Contract"?

Richard Dodge & Shauna Guner of the Dentons law firm had a very interesting short piece on this, which they kindly agreed to let me repost: As the...