Outside the Beltway

Regardless of the outcome of the Michael Brown investigation, there are legitimate problems that need to be addressed.

The House of Representatives has filed its lawsuit against the President. As expected, it doesn’t amount to much.

Not surprisingly, last night’s announcement that there would be no state court indictment in the Michael Brown shooting led to violence and confrontations with police. That’s not going to solve any of the real problems that face Ferguson, or any other community in the United States.

A not unexpected decision from the Grand Jury that investigated the Michael Brown shooting.

Once again, a Federal Judge has barred New Jersey’s effort to legalize sports betting based on Federal law. it’s time for the Federal Government to get out of the way on this issue.

On a preliminary examination, the President’s executive action on immigration appears to be within the boundaries of applicable law. However, as with other exercises of Executive Branch authority, it raises some important concerns about the precedent that it sets.

The Office of Legal Counsel told the president Wednesday he couldn’t do what he did on Thursday.

In the end, there appears to be very little, if anything, the GOP can do to stop or roll back the executive actions the President will announce Thursday evening.

Based on the available evidence, there’s very little evidence that Voter ID laws had a significant impact on the midterm elections.

A 69-year-old former polygraph examiner for the Oklahoma City police department has been indicted for coaching people to thwart the machines.

All the warnings of violence in the wake of an expected imminent announcement from the Grand Jury in the Michael brown case could become self-fulfilling prophecy.

Every member of the Supreme Court graduated from an Ivy League Law School. That kind of homogeneity is not healthy.

The process that seems likely to lead to a Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage has begun.

The labor laws apply no matter what business you’re in.

We appear to be just days away from an announcement from the Grand Jury investigating the Michael Brown shooting, and the consensus seems to be that there will be no indictment at all.

On his way out of office, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe is set to pardon his son for an 11 year-old non-violent marijuana conviction.

Same-sex marriage advanced in Kansas and South Carolina yesterday, and will soon be law in Montana, but the Supreme Court is what matters now,

A popular idea that does nothing useful while simultaneously violating the Constitution.

Civil asset forfeiture gives “highway robbery” a whole new meaning.

Support for legalizing marijuana continues to grow slowly but surely.

The Fourth and Fifth Amendments do not prevent the police from compelling you to unlock your phone if you used fingerprint scan technology to lock it, Virginia Judge has ruled.

States may not add to Federal requirements for voter registration, the Court rules. Which makes perfect sense.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of a case that could completely gut the financial structure of the Affordable Care Act.

The Supreme Court heard argument this week in a case involving a somewhat strange application of Federal law.

An unsurprising ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that only seems to bring closer the day when same-sex marriage will be legal nationwide.

Not surprisingly, a law passed in the wake of the September 11th attacks has been used mostly for things that have nothing to do with terrorism.

Big victories for advocates of marijuana legalization.

The Supreme Court will decide if Congress can override American foreign policy when it comes to declaring who has dominion over Jerusalem.

Reports from the Justice Department seem to be laying the groundwork for more disappointment for those hoping for charges against Officer Darren Wilson.

Not unexpectedly, the Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the Constitutionality of the Senate filibuster.

Just over one year ago, Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds was attacked by his son, revealing problems with our mental health system that have yet to be adequately addressed.

A Maine Judge has largely rejected the efforts of the State of Maine to restrict the movements of Kaci Hickcox

At this rate, it’s unlikely the House will file any kind of lawsuit against President Obama until 2015, assuming it ever files anything.

We may have our first legal challenge to an Ebola quarantine order by tomorrow

Mandatory quarantines are a massive violation of personal liberty. We ought to be careful in how, when, and why we impose them and who they are directed toward.

The Koch Brothers are putting money behind an effort to reform a part of the legal system that is ignored far too often.

The City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho will not force two Christian ministers to open their wedding chapel business to same-sex wedding ceremonies.

Not surprisingly a Federal Judge has blocked New Jersey’s latest effort to legalize sports gaming. As a matter of policy, though, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be legal to place wagers on sporting events.

It’s been three months, but there’s been no action on the lawsuit that the House of Representatives said it was filing against President Obama.