Trump’s vendetta fuels baseless charges against Southern Poverty Law Center
Trump has repeatedly claimed people and groups he opposes are criminals who deserve to be prosecuted. Source link
Trump has repeatedly claimed people and groups he opposes are criminals who deserve to be prosecuted. Source link
A familiar puzzle sits at the heart of contemporary legal and political philosophy. On the one hand, rights are taken to exist prior to political institutions, originating in a primordial state of nature: Individuals possess claims over their bodies, property, and choices independently of any collective will. On the other hand, we are equally committed to the idea that legitimate law must be democratic—that it must, in some sense, be authored by those subject to it. The result is a persistent tension: How can rights be both prior to and yet dependent upon democratic law? This tension acquires particular urgency in the current climate of strain on constitutional democracies. A familiar liberal diagnosis casts it as a dilemma: Either rights constrain democratic will, or democracy reshapes rights in its own image. Yet this dilemma arises only by clinging to a sharp divide between rights and democratic law—a divide that haunts mainstream liberal thought and fuels its recurring distrust of democracy as a potential gateway to populism. But what if this picture is mistaken? What if …
Sophie Brimble died when the Volkswagen Polo she was a passenger in crashed into a lamppost at speeds of up to 80mph. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS) The family of a young woman killed by a speeding motorist are outraged that he has escaped any form of punishment — due to an obscure law dating back 200 years. Sophie Brimble, 20, died when her boyfriend Jay Bayliss, now 32, crashed into a lamppost while driving at almost three times the speed limit. The fatal collision followed a high-speed race between Bayliss and his friend Neil Brooks, 49, after Brooks overtook Bayliss in July 2017. Sophie’s family has now broken their silence to demand a change in the law after he was handed an ‘absolute discharge’ under a piece of legislation from 1836 relating to his fitness to stand trial. Brooks was jailed for eight years and handed a lengthy driving ban, but Bayliss was initially considered too seriously injured to stand trial. However, an investigation was reopened in 2024 after police discovered he had regained …
MADRID — Pope Leo may not find it hard to connect with his hosts as he kicks off a weeklong visit to Spain this weekend. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Like Leo, Spain’s socialist government has been vocally critical of the Iran war, risking the ire of the Trump administration by refusing to provide military support. And also like the Chicago-born pontiff, Spain has been outspoken in opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. That may have been on Leo’s mind Saturday during his address at Madrid’s Royal Palace, where, after being greeted by King Felipe VI, he expressed his gratitude for Spain’s faithful adherence to international law and active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples. Advocating for peace is important “in an age seemingly shaken by terrible imbalances and conflicts,” he said. Another not-so-hidden advantage is that Leo, who got his start as a missionary in Peru, speaks fluent Spanish. He was expected to put that skill to use later on Saturday at a rally …
The State Bar of California has charged the partners of Downtown LA Law Group, a law firm at the center of a scandal that has consumed Los Angeles County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlement, with signing up clients in states where they had no license to practice. The bar charged Farid Yaghoubtil and Daniel Azizi, two founding partners of the personal injury firm, and Igor Fradkin, a litigation attorney, on Monday with signing up accident victims across the U.S., despite having no attorneys who could litigate the cases outside California. The firm took on clients in Texas, Florida, Maryland, Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia, according to the complaint. Downtown LA Law Group, or DTLA, said in a statement that the cases highlighted by the bar “are multi-jurisdiction with California defendants.” “DTLA is confident they will be able to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of both the State Bar and our law firm,” the firm said. Yaghoubtil faces 16 counts, including practicing law without a license, charging illegal fees, and continuing to represent a client …
Lawyers for one of Europe’s top “mafia bosses” have accused law enforcement of “kidnapping” the fugitive as part of an international underworld extradition saga. Steven Lyons, the alleged head of the infamous Lyon crime clan based in Scotland, is accused of running a global criminal empire involving money laundering, drug trafficking and shifting millions through shell companies. He attended an extradition hearing in Amsterdam on Thursday after being deported from Indonesia under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Spanish authorities. Extraordinary pictures from Bali captured Lyons, who they branded a “mafia fugitive”, being paraded by Indonesian authorities in an orange prison suit and handcuffs. Spain has no extradition treaty with Indonesia meaning he was sent to the Netherlands as part of the process. Today’s hearing, which was filmed by Sky News, marks a critical turning point in a years-long international investigation into what police claim is a multi-million-euro empire operating across Europe and the Middle East. What happened in court? While the Amsterdam proceedings focused solely on whether Lyons can legally be handed over to …
Illinois is on the verge of adopting a major update to its e-bike laws, and unlike many recent proposals around the country, this one doesn’t simply focus on traditional electric bicycles. In addition to the traditional 3-class electric bicycle system, it also sets in place a path forward for out-of-class models that are too fast or powerful to qualify as true electric bicycles. The legislation creates a new legal framework that distinguishes between low-speed e-bikes (Class 1, 2, and 3) and the increasingly common high-speed electric vehicles that often blur the line between bicycles and motorcycles. Senate Bill 3336 recently passed the Illinois House in an 80-30 vote and now awaits final action in the Senate. The bill is backed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who argues that current laws haven’t kept pace with rapidly evolving micromobility technology. The legislation formally adopts the familiar three-class e-bike system used in much of the United States. Under the proposal, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes would be limited to 20 mph (32 km/h), while Class …
The murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December 2025 is a profound tragedy that has left a family grieving and deeply affected the wider community. Any discussion that follows must keep that loss clearly in view. Following Digwa’s conviction and sentencing, Nowak’s father said the family did not want his death “to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to help make our streets safer for everyone.” Local and national Sikh organisations expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences, while unequivocally condemning the killing and stating that Digwa’s actions were “in direct contradiction to Sikh teachings and values” and wholly unrepresentative of Sikhs. In court, the judge noted that Digwa was carrying a kirpan – a ceremonial blade that is typically worn in a small, discreet form – as well as a larger bladed weapon, which was used in the attack. Wider questions have since been raised about religious exemptions. Should Sikhs be allowed to carry kirpans in public? And, given this horrific case, are …
On June 2, Colorado governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 133, a bill that creates a new type of limited liability company (LLC) called an Artist Company, or A-Corp, report the Art Newspaper and the Colorado Sun. The new business structure is designed to help artists in the state—defined in the bill as “individuals that create works of authorship or artistic expression comprising written, oral, visual, graphic, literary, musical, audiovisual, digital, or performing art in any medium”—set up their own business while ensuring they retain creative control of their work. Related Articles The idea for an A-Corp was first proposed by Yancey Strickler, the co-founder of Kickstarter, at a TED talk last year. According to Strickler, who spoke at the bill signing, an A-Corp might represent an individual artist, but it can also be a more dynamic entity such as a holding company that owns the work or business. “A-Corps,” he has written, “are designed around a simple, powerful, principle: creative people deserve the same economic advantages as everyone else.” While an A-Corp, as defined …
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again PERSPECTIVE © FRANCE 24 Issued on: 02/06/2026 – 14:37Modified: 02/06/2026 – 14:40 07:54 min From the show Reading time 1 min Now that France has finally repealed the so-called Code Noir or Black Code, experts are urging the country to also consider the issue of reparations. The Code Noir was the law that effectively regulated slavery by making people like property, notably in the French colonies – enabling people to be worked, beaten, sold, raped and even killed. It was only repealed last week, even though France abolished slavery back in 1848. In Perspective, we spoke to Olivette Otele, a historian and professor at SOAS in London. By: Source link