Institute for Justice updates

Immunity & Accountability

Michigan Supreme Court Will Hear Case Against Wayne County Over Retaliatory Criminal Charges

The Michigan Supreme Court agreed to hear Robert Reeves' case against Wayne County over retaliatory criminal charges he faced after he sued the county over its unconstitutional forfeiture of his car. Robert was twice dragged through baseless criminal proceedings after he stood up for his rights under the U.S. Constitution by joining IJ's lawsuit against Wayne County's vehicle seizure scheme. Last year, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that a Wayne County prosecutor must face Robert’s lawsuit.

Fourth Amendment

IJ Opposes DHS Proposal to Collect More Biometric Data on American Citizens

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a rule that would grant the agency vast authority to collect and store DNA from U.S. citizens. The rule would sweep up data on everyone involved in applying for immigration benefits, such as a citizen sponsoring a family member for a visa. Making matters worse, the rule would allow DHS to store this data indefinitely and share it with other government agencies for any number of purposes without a warrant. IJ submitted a comment opposing the proposed rule.

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Fines & Fees

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Challenging New York City’s ‘Unreviewable’ Code Fines

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a New York City man’s lawsuit challenging the city’s scheme of issuing “unreviewable” fines to enforce the city’s building code. Serafim Katergaris and IJ filed the case in August 2022, after Serafim was issued a $1,000 fine because a previous owner of his property had not submitted paperwork to say the boiler had been inspected—a boiler that was already gone when Serafim bought the property. New York City, however, does not provide any way to appeal these fines. 

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WATCH: This City Just Banned Backyard Swim Lessons

IJ Podcasts

Beyond The Brief: Americans Keep Getting Caught Up In Immigration Raids

Leo Garcia Venegas and George Retes were simply trying to work when they got ensnared by dragnet federal immigration raids.

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Short Circuit: Don’t Forget Your Receipt

When you pay your bail money it’s a good practice to get a receipt. A woman in Mississippi found that out the hard way when she was arrested on pretty shaky grounds and then told she had to pay or stay in jail.

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