Category: 3-LawSometimeCommentary

Liz and Andrew invite back friend of the show Mitchell Epner to discuss the breaking news today that Jack Smith's Washington, DC grand jury has issued a "target letter" informing Donald Trump that he is likely to be indicted in connection with the January 6 investigation. Find out exactly what all that means & much, much more!

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NOTESMichigan AG Dana Nessel's press release https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2023/07/18/michigan-attorney-general-dana-nessel-charges-16-false-electors

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It’s time to discuss the Affirmative Action cases from Harvard and the University of North Carolina, and we have brought in an expert on college admissions - Jeff Brenzel, the former Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale.  Jeff is so much more than that - he has taught at Yale as a lecturer in philosophy and humanities; is the former head of the Alumni Association, and is a current trustee at Morehouse College, to name some of his many hats.  He offers a perspective that is a perfect supplement to the legal analysis from Professor Amar, as we make our way through 237 pages of Supreme Court opinion, concurrences, and fiery dissents, not to mention Akhil’s scholarship on this subject over the decades.  It’s potentially a morass and we begin to find our way through it, to hopefully understand the stormy present and the uncertain future of college admissions.

Liz and Andrew welcome Prof. Guha Krishnamurthi to the show to discuss his forthcoming law review article about the future of affirmative action in light of the Supreme Court's recent decision in SFFA v. Harvard.

Notes SFFA v. Harvard https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf

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Joel Anderson, host of Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas, joins Melissa and Kate to analyze the justice's trajectory from his childhood in Georgia to his contentious confirmation hearings. Plus, Joel spills behind-the-scenes tea about reporting the series-- including how he found himself in the living room of Justice Thomas's mother.

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Liz and Andrew break down Trump's latest doomed efforts to try and suppress the Special Purpose Grand Jury Report in Fulton County, Georgia (because he's probably going to be indicted in the next few weeks).

Then, the two tackle the supposed "whistleblower" who can link Hunter Biden to Joe Biden to piles of cocaine to China to... something. Except that's all nonsense and the whistleblower has been indicted for the stuff they accuse Biden of doing. Neat!

This is an unpaid post on Patreon.

Notes SUPREME COURT Petition for Writs of Mandamus and Prohibition https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23875842/s23o1134_-_original_petition-copy.pdf

SUPERIOR COURT Petition for Writs of Mandamus and Prohibition https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/View/2046/2023CV382670

Fulton County docket http://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/Index/94?Grid-orderBy=LastModifiedDate-desc Trump motion to quash https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23718113-ex-parte-fulton-county-grand-jury-03-20-2023-102331-37306996-f8b43da6-144b-4544-ab53-4095c1c5f36d

Order on briefing https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/View/1941/SPGJ-ORDER-ON-ADDITIONAL-BRIEFING

Trump Motion for Reconsideration https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/View/1953/EX-PARTE-FILING-5-24-23A

In re Floyd County Grand Jury Presentments for May Term 1996 https://casetext.com/case/in-re-floyd-county-etc

Anna Bower Lawfare explainer on SPGJs https://www.lawfareblog.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-georgia-special-purpose-grand-juries-were-afraid-ask

Woolsey article https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/exclusive-fallout-1-billion-biofuel-scam-could-decimate-polygamist-sect/

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In the first of Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books and podcasts that have helped us look at the Supreme Court from a different angle, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Season 8 of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast: Becoming Justice Thomas. They talk about the experiences and people who helped shape Justice Thomas’ worldview and how deeply his jurisprudence is rooted in a kind of “cruel to be kind” ethos from his childhood. And why he was so blind to the challenges and suffering of so many Black women in his life. 

Next, Dahlia talks to Heather McGhee, Author The Sum of Us: WHAT RACISM COSTS EVERYONE AND HOW WE CAN PROSPER TOGETHER, about her books and podcast, and what they can teach us about a Supreme Court that is inclined to frame the world as zero-sum.

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In the first of Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books and podcasts that have helped us look at the Supreme Court from a different angle, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Season 8 of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast: Becoming Justice Thomas. They talk about the experiences and people who helped shape Justice Thomas’ worldview and how deeply his jurisprudence is rooted in a kind of “cruel to be kind” ethos from his childhood. And why he was so blind to the challenges and suffering of so many Black women in his life. 

Next, Dahlia talks to Heather McGhee, Author The Sum of Us: WHAT RACISM COSTS EVERYONE AND HOW WE CAN PROSPER TOGETHER, about her books and podcast, and what they can teach us about a Supreme Court that is inclined to frame the world as zero-sum.

Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show.

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Liz and Andrew give a few updates on Trump's scheduling and the E. Jean Carroll litigation before diving into Ray Epps's defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

Notes OA 704 https://openargs.com/oa704-democrats-play-offense-on-january-6/

Trump docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67490071/united-states-v-trump/

DOJ opp Trump motion for continuance https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654.76.0.pdf

Epps v. Fox News lawsuit https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.83032/gov.uscourts.ded.83032.1.1_1.pdf

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Liz and Andrew take a deep look at the U.S. v. Trump docket and explain how some minor-seeming procedural filings may tell us more than you'd think about how Donald Trump intends to mount a defense for crimes that he's definitely guilty of. You won't want to miss this one!

Notes Trump docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67490071/united-states-v-trump/

Trump opp Motion for Continuance https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654.66.0.pdf Trump Speedy Trial Act report https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654/gov.uscourts.flsd.648654.72.0.pdf DOJ Denney case file https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/denney-lucas

United States v. Hatfield, 466 F. App’x 775, 777 (11th Cir. 2012) https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23870839-us-v-hatfield

In re Grand Jury Investigation (Mueller Challenge) https://casetext.com/case/in-re-investigation-5442

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A Colorado website designer refuses to create sites for gay couples’ weddings, going afoul of Colorado’s public accommodations law.  Can she be compelled to author such a site?  The Court has ruled, and we have the analysis.  Along the way, we find ourselves discussing the intricacies of stipulations, and getting into the fine points of how one gets to federal court, even as we consider more mainstream questions as speech vs. conduct, the limits of rights, and some interesting hypotheticals.  Professor Amar, as usual, has his own take on such things.