Beyond the Brief

On Christmas Eve 2022, Jennifer Heath Box got off a cruise ship in Florida, excited to return home to Texas and spend Christmas with her children before her son was deployed. Instead, police arrested her as she got off the ship, and she spent Christmas in jail, where guards pumped death metal music and freezing air into the cells.  All because police were looking for a woman who didn’t look like Jennifer, was half her age, and didn’t even have the same name.  To tell us more about the case, we interview IJ attorneys Jared McClain and Bobbi Taylor.    https://youtu.be/bRbX9TtNGC0

Not long ago, if police wanted to know where someone drove, they would have to follow that person for days, taking significant resources. But new technology allows the government to track everyone nearly all the time and to access that information without a warrant. As this technology spreads around the country, people are fighting back for the Fourth Amendment.   Today we have with us IJ attorneys Robert Frommer and Michael Soyfer to discuss a new lawsuit in Norfolk, Virginia.  https://youtu.be/7S3bcS_SSUE

In Pennsylvania, officers of the Fish and Boat Commission have the power to trespass on any land or water without a warrant. For one couple, that lead to repeated harassment at their lakeside home from a Waterways Conservation Officer. But the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protects all Americans, including Pennsylvanians who live near water. Today we’re talking with IJ attorneys Kirby Thomas West and Dylan Moore about a new case challenging warrantless trespassing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs5WEbit5Kg Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. donate monthly

The proliferation of video is changing how Americans fight for their civil rights, and much of it is happening right here on YouTube. I'm Kim Norberg of the nonprofit civil liberties law firm the Institute for Justice, together with co-host Keith Neely and IJ senior attorney Patrick Jaicomo. Today, we’re talking with special guest John Bryan, better known as The Civil Rights Lawyer. John knows firsthand how difficult civil rights lawsuits have become–and he previously partnered with IJ to overcome one of the many immunity doctrines that make it nearly impossible for ordinary people to vindicate their rights in court. As IJ unravels that web of government immunity, John has successfully turned to video to help hold abusive officials accountable. We're using different but complementary approaches to reach the same goals: bringing justice to victims and creating broader legal change. https://youtu.be/Pv8eVmyIXTU

In 2013, a Clovis, California police officer found out that his girlfriend Desiree Martinez had reported him for physically abusing her—while Desiree was trapped in a room with him, leading to further horrific abuse. Incredibly, the informant was another officer who knew about Desiree’s boyfriend’s history of domestic violence. Desiree later sued that officer informant for enabling the abuse, but an appeals court granted qualified immunity to block the suit. Now, Desiree and IJ are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to make clear that government officials who knowingly place people in danger can be held accountable. Today we talk with IJ attorneys Anya Bidwell and Patrick Jaicomo about Desiree’s fight for justice.  https://youtu.be/mmViazhu130 Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. donate monthly

In America, the government doesn’t get to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Yet states and cities throughout the country block new business to protect established interests. That’s when IJ steps in. Awa Diagne has been braiding hair for 30 years, but when she tried to open a braiding salon in an Atlanta suburb, the town told her it would provide too much competition. So, Awa and IJ are fighting back.   Today we talk with IJ attorneys Renee Flaherty and Will Aronin about how IJ is protecting the right to make a living https://youtu.be/kD6T_n5_LP4 Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. donate monthly

Can the government take your land just because they don’t like you? That’s happening to Brinkmann’s Hardware, a beloved local store in Long Island. After a lengthy fight, the town of Southhold, NY is now trying to take their land away through eminent domain—all to protect another business from competition. Today we talk with Hank Brinkmann and IJ Senior Attorney Jeff Redfern about how Brinkmann’s Hardware went from a small family shop to a champion of property rights—and their path all the way to the Supreme Court. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltd6hT9B5DQ related case Family-Owned Hardware Store Sues Long Island Town Trying to Take Away their Property The Brinkmann family owns hardware stores in Long Island and purchased property with the hope of opening a new store. The town now wants to take the land through eminent domain, simply because they don’t want another store. With the help of IJ, the Brinkmanns are fighting back against this unconstitutional tactic. view case Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. donate monthly

The film Rebel Ridge came September 6 and shot to #1 on Netflix. It depicts a former Marine’s attempts to get his money back after it was taken by police through civil forfeiture. That story sounded pretty familiar to us at IJ.   We have been working to dismantle civil forfeiture for decades, but unlike the film’s main character, our clients aren’t vigilantes who take the law into their own hands; instead, they fight back in court. So how accurate is Rebel Ridge’s portrayal of civil forfeiture?   To find out, we talk with IJ attorney Kirby Thomas West. https://youtu.be/VsrytcKoE5k Know Your Rights Card Civil forfeiture is the process the government uses to take and sell your property—including cash, cars, and even homes—even if you have not been convicted of—or even charged with—any crime. Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans lose their property through civil forfeiture—don’t be one of them! download the card Your Property or Theirs? Once your property has been seized by the government there is a byzantine process to get it back. See the steps and pitfalls for navigating a federal forfeiture case in this comprehensive overview. view the process

It’s legal to travel domestically with any amount of cash. It’s legal to travel in and out of the U.S. with more than $10k if you declare it. But that doesn’t stop law enforcement from searching travelers’ property and seizing any cash they find without warrants or evidence of a crime. Today we talk with IJ attorneys Jaba Tsitsuashvili and Ben Field about how the government treats carrying cash like a crime and what IJ’s doing to fight back. https://youtu.be/WmVFud7v2r4 Know Your Rights Card Civil forfeiture is the process the government uses to take and sell your property—including cash, cars, and even homes—even if you have not been convicted of—or even charged with—any crime. Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans lose their property through civil forfeiture—don’t be one of them! download the card Your Property or Theirs? Once your property has been seized by the government there is a byzantine process to get it back. See the steps and pitfalls for navigating a federal forfeiture case in this comprehensive overview. view the process

On a typical day, police officers pull over more than 50,000 drivers. If you’ve had a recent encounter with police, chances are good it was during a traffic stop. Traffic stops can lead to searches, arrests, and worse, yet they seldom involve a [search] warrant. So how did vehicles become Fourth-Amendment-free zones?  Today we are joined by Josh Windham, the leader of IJ’s Project on the Fourth Amendment. We’ll explore how traffic stops are driving a hole through the Fourth Amendment and how IJ is pushing back.    Tell Us Your Story Did police search your car? Did they fail to get consent or a warrant? We want to hear from you! IJ attorneys will review your potential case. get help