Category: Attacks Against Legal Institutions

Acting U.S. attorney was serving illegally when he subpoenaed Letitia James, appeals court rules

A divided Second Circuit panel held on August 21 that John Sarcone III was not lawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, invalidating subpoenas he issued to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Guido Calabresi wrote that delegating the office’s full duties …

Exclusive: Trump DOJ appears to have hired lawyer convicted of hacking election sites to check ‘integrity’

Democracy Docket reported on August 21 that David Michael Levin — a Florida attorney who pleaded guilty after using SQL-injection attacks to breach the Lee County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Division of Elections websites in 2016 — appears to have joined the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Levin was photographed at Assistant Attorney General …

ICC condemns latest US sanctions against its president and prosecutor

On August 18 the U.S. Secretary of State sanctioned International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese senior trial lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor who has been investigating conduct in the West Bank and is nominated for election as an ICC judge. The Court condemned the designations …

Former federal prosecutor is suing DOJ for ‘unlawful and retaliatory’ firing

A former assistant U.S. attorney in Michigan has sued the Justice Department over her April dismissal, arguing she was let go without cause or notice because she had prosecuted anti-abortion activists under the FACE Act. Her complaint alleges violations of the Civil Service Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the First and Fifth Amendments, …

Uganda: DPP seeks contempt charges against Besigye lawyer over social media posts

Uganda’s Directorate of Public Prosecutions is seeking criminal contempt charges against Eron Kiiza, a lawyer on the defence team for opposition figure Kizza Besigye and co-accused Obeid Lutale, over posts he made on social media, the Daily Monitor reported on August 6, 2026. The State is asking the court to find Kiiza guilty of criminal …

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in 50–49 Vote

On August 8, the Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche — President Trump’s former personal defense attorney — as U.S. Attorney General by a 50–49 vote, with only Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski crossing the aisle. Blanche had served as acting head of the Justice Department since April and, in that role, aggressively advanced the …

Thailand: Lèse-majesté conviction and prison sentence of Arnon Nampa upheld by the Court of Appeals

In an urgent appeal dated August 4, 2026, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders — a joint programme of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture — condemned an appellate ruling against the Thai pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa. On July 16, 2026, the Court of Appeals Region 5 …

The Conflict Over the US Dept. of Justice

In a July 30, 2026 commentary at Consortium News, former New Jersey judge Andrew P. Napolitano argues that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche should not be confirmed as attorney general, contending that his years as Trump’s personal defense lawyer leave him unable to separate loyalty to the president from his oath to the law. Napolitano …

Costa Rica’s new president clashes with judiciary over tackling drug violence

Two months into her presidency, Costa Rica’s Laura Fernández is locked in a standoff with the country’s judiciary that Reuters reports is stalling any coordinated state response to drug-related violence in a nation once known for its stability. The dispute centres on steep budget cuts imposed on the courts and a legislative proposal to shift …

The Latest: Justices testify about Supreme Court security in rare appearance before Congress

Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan made a rare appearance before Congress on July 14 as the Court requested increased funding to protect justices and their families. Barrett described having to wear a bulletproof vest and explain the precaution to her children, while Kagan said the security environment had changed dramatically since …