Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner

Shortly after Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, his administration stopped having American Sign Language interpreters translate at White House press briefings for the deaf and hard of hearing communities. A federal judge has ruled that this violated federal law, and ordered the White House to reinstate sign language interpreters so the deaf and hard of hearing communities would have access to the information being put out by the federal government during White House press briefings.Glenn discusses this new federal court ruling designed to prevent the White House from keeping the deaf community in the dark about what the federal government is up to. Follow Glenn on Substack: https://glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal judge seems exasperated with Trump flunky Lindsey Halligan, who vindictively indicted former FBI Director James Comey at the insistence of Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie who is litigating the legality of the Comey indictment - specifically Halligan's involvement in obtaining the indictment - previously ordered DOJ/Halligan to turn over all evidence from the grand jury proceedings. But Halligan failed to do so, only turning over the testimony of one witness who appeared before the grand jury. Accordingly, the judge has now issued an order directing Halligan "to submit, no later than Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 5 pm . . . a complete transcript and/or recording of all statements made by the indictment signer (Halligan) to the grand jury . . .." Glenn describes the usual process for presentations to the grand jury and why Halligan's failure to provide everything the judge ordered previously smacks of an attempted coverup. Follow Glenn on Substack: https://glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over 100 federal judges have delivered a significant rebuke to the Trump administration's mandatory immigration detention policy, issuing over 200 rulings against it. This legal consensus spans judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents. The implications of these rulings are profound, forcing the administration to reconsider its approach and withdraw controversial policies. Additionally, Glenn highlights a past instance where judicial pushback led to the reversal of a policy affecting foreign students, demonstrating the power of the judiciary in shaping executive action.

We are always asking ourselves, asking others, or others are asking us: what can I do to fight FOR democracy and fight AGAINST Trump's autocracy, dictatorship, and authoritarianism? Glenn sat down with Miles Taylor to discuss a new approach: DEFIANCE.org. Miles has set the standard for standing up to Trump's lawlessness, his threats, and his despicable and insatiable appetite for revenge. Miles decided to create DEFIANCE.org, described as follows: “WHAT CAN I DO?”"We built a club to answer that question. Each month, we give you options to fight back — peacefully, lawfully, and defiantly — against Trump’s authoritarian takeover. You choose what missions to support. Then we take action together."DEFIANCE.org is described as: "A CLUB FOR COURAGEOUS AMERICANS"Link to website: https://www.defiance.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Trump ordering unlawful military strikes on boats in international waters - murdering dozens of human beings, to Trump saying he can order soldiers into the street of US cities and even the courts can't stop him, Trump behavior vis-a-vis the military is getting more dangerous and lawless by the day. Two members of the Illinois National Guard have spoke out publicly, announcing that they would not obey unlawful order from Trump to deploy to the streets to Chicago. Glenn discusses these and other military-related developments with law professor and military law expert Dan Maurer. Follow Dan on Substack: https://dmaurer.substack.com/Follow Glenn on Substack: https://glennkirschner.substack.comHow this content was madeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In an episode that is more befitting of George Orwell's 1984 than an American government in 2025, the Trump administration has retaliated against two federal prosecutors at the the DC US Attorney's Office for putting truthful, relevant, and necessary information into a court filing.The prosecutors filed a Sentencing Memorandum, as is usual in every case in which a defendant has been convicted. The sentencing memo read in part: "the defendant, Taylor Franklin Taranto, perpetrated a hoax on June 28, 2023, by falsely claiming that he would cause a car bomb to drive into the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The next day, he drove to a residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., causing a substantial disruption to the residents and regional law enforcement. When the police responded to the scene of a potential car bomb near a restricted area that was protected heavily by the United States Secret Service, Taranto tried to flee and left his van behind. After securing Taranto's van and executing a lawful search of the vehicle, police found a CZ Scorpion, an M&P pistol, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his backpack, which he left in the van. Taranto unlawfully carried the pistols and unlawfully possessed the ammunition.The next day, on June 29, 2023, then-former President Donald Trump published on a social media platform the purported address of former President Barack Obama. Taranto re-posted the address on the same platform and thereafter started livestreaming from his van on his YouTube channel. Taranto broadcast footage of himself as he drove through the Kalorama neighborhood in Washington, D.C., claiming he was searching for 'tunnels' he believed would provide him access to the private residences of certain high-profile individuals, including former President Obama. He parked his van, walked away from it, and approached a restricted area protected by the United States Secret Service. He walked through the nearby woods and stated, 'Gotta get the shot, stop at nothing to get the shot.' After noticing the presence of the Secret Service he said, 'If I were them, I'd be watching this, watching my every move.' He also said, 'So yeah, more than likely, these guys also all hang for treason' and 'I control the block, we've got 'em surrounded.' When Secret Service agents approached him, Taranto fled, but he was apprehended and placed under arrest."The sentencing memo also stated: "On January 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Taranto was accused of participating in the riot in D.C., by entering the U.S. Capitol Building. After the riot, Taranto returned to his home in the State of Washington, where he promoted conspiracy theories about the events of January 6, 2021."Apparently because the prosecutors put truthful and accurate references to January 6 and Donald Trump into the sentencing memo, within two hours of filing the memo the prosecutors had their government cell phones seized, they were locked out of their government computers, and they were removed from the US Attorney's Office.This represents unlawful retaliation against these prosecutors for providing truthful, accurate, and necessary information to the sentencing judge.In this episode of "The Prosecutors' Verdict" Kevin Flynn and I talk about this legal developments and the horrific precedent it sets for the independence of the Department of Justice and the practice of the law in our nation's courts.To find Kevin on Substack: https://kfflynn.substack.com/To find Glenn on Substack: https://glennkirschner.substack.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The last 24 hours have seen three important developments, both legal and political, that spell real trouble for Donald Trump and his administration.First: the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the lower court opinion in which two Trump-appointed judges decided Trump should be able to militarize the streets of Portland, Oregon. The appeals court will now sit in judgement en banc (full court) and hopefully put a more permanent stop to Trump's attempts to send troops into Portland based on Trump's "assertions that are untethered to the facts," as the trial court judge found.Second: As NPR reported, "Senate Republicans deal Trump a rare rebuke on trade with vote against Brazil tariffs."And Third: a federal judge in California ruled that the US Attorney for the Middle District of California was appointed unlawfully by Trump. This ruling has important implications for the prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James, and may result in those cases being dismissed.For Glenn's Substack: hhtps://glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal judges and the federal courts are clearly getting fed up with the Trump Administration's continued abusive conduct in relation to its immigration enforcement practices. A federal judge in Chicago, Judge Sara Ellis, just ordered the Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino to appear in her courtroom DAILY for the next week, after he was caught on video casually lobbing a tear gas canister into a crowd of protestors that posed no imminent threat to officers. But even more important than today's ruling, was the fact that Judge Ellis citied as evidence videos that had been sent to her by members of the public documenting abusive acts by federal officers. This is an important reminder of the power the people have to record, document, and turn over to the authorities, including the courts, these powerful images. For Glenn's Substack: hhtps://glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted Trump's plan to send National Guard troops to Portland. Legal battles over presidential power are creating a sense of fatigue, as courts continuously dispute the facts behind militarizing cities. Glenn highlights the lack of evidence for rebellion in Portland and praises Judge Immergut's rulings protecting Oregon. He likens the ongoing legal tussle to a high-stakes tennis match, where the stakes involve the very future of democracy.

New York Attorney General Letitia James was arraigned in her bank fraud case. Donald Trump had directed his unqualified US Attorney, Lindsey Halligan, to bring those charges against James. Glenn attended the hearing in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia. He gives 2 reports from the courthouse - one before and also one after the arraignment hearing.For Glenn's Substack: hhtps://glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.