Washington, D.C. - As People For the American Way continues to promote qualified Biden-Harris executive branch and judicial nominees, especially women of color as reflected in our #HerFightOurFight campaign and also address the systemic problems of vote suppression, far right extremism, police misconduct, and racial discrimination, we have continued our research and reporting on the troubling votes and decisions by Trump appellate judges and justices. Our focus is on the broad, systemic impact of such rulings and opinions, beyond their effect on individual litigants. Linked below are posts concerning 15 cases from PFAW’s “Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears” blog series for July.
One important trend that emerges from the July cases concerns four decisions made possible by Trump judges that harm health care, including several relating to efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Another trend relates to three rulings that excuse or limit liability for police misconduct. Specifically:
- In two cases, Trump judges wrote decisions to strike down government efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, including one overturning the CDC eviction moratorium and one ruling unconstitutional a state order to limit in-person attendance at private as well as public schools. Trump judges also cast a deciding vote to make it illegal for the FDA to ban the use of medical devices for uses found dangerous and dismissed the appeal of an indigent prisoner concerning his claim that officials were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs.
- Making even worse a trend we have previously seen, Trump judges cast key votes in three cases that excused or limited liability for police misconduct. These included two cases granting qualified immunity to police for alleged corrupt and other misconduct. In addition, a Trump judge cast the deciding vote to excuse a city from any liability for severe police misconduct.
All these July cases and more, including rulings on the right to counsel, employment discrimination, gun safety, religious liberty, and the death penalty, underline the importance of efforts to counteract harmful votes by Trump judges by confirming fair-minded constitutionalists with a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights nominated by President Biden as federal judges. These cases have all been entered in our Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears tool, which you can search by judge or by issue.
- Trump Justices Cast Deciding Votes to Summarily Reverse Ruling Against Death Penalty
- Trump Judge Rules Religious Organizations are Completely Immune from Hostile Work Environment Claims
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Strike Down FDA Regulation Banning Dangerous Uses of Medical Device
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Grant Immunity to State Trooper From Liability Under State Civil Rights Law and From Punitive Damages
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Vacate Preliminary Injunction Preventing the Isolation of Women in “Horrific and Repulsive Conditions” in County Jail
- Trump Judge Reverses District Court and Grants Qualified Immunity to Sherriff From Suit for Due Process Violation
- Trump Judges Invite Supreme Court to Cut Back Further on Church-State Protection
- Trump Judge Grants Special Exemption to Private Schools from COVID Restrictions
- Trump Judges Uphold Trump Judge Decision to Rule that CDC’s Important Eviction Moratorium is Illegal
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Uphold Ruling Excusing City from Responsibility for Police Misconduct
- Trump Judge Allows Continued Imprisonment For a Conviction Based on Improperly Admitted Hearsay Evidence
- Trump Judge Casts Deciding Vote to Reject Claim that Individual Received Ineffective Assistance from Counsel who Failed to Advise him of his Right to Appeal
- Trump Judge Reverses Decision Ruling that Individual Received Constitutionally Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Because of a Clear Conflict of Interest
- Trump Judges Dismiss Appeal Concerning Deliberate Indifference to Medical Needs as Frivolous Without Any Written or Oral Argument
- Trump Judge Strikes Down 50-Year Old Federal Law Restricting Gun Sales to Those Under 21
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org