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Adam Davidson

@sonofdavid.bsky.social

Assistant Professor at UChicago Law. Researching police, prisons, abolition, and the 13th amendment. Views, for better or worse, are my own. Things I wrote: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=4329951 Background by Oscar Joyo

91 Posts589 Follower 479 Folgt

Ann M. Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · last mo.

It's 5 4 in that there are 4 votes that the constitution does not mandate birthright citizenship.

Joshua G. Schraiber@jgschraiber.bsky.social · last mo.

Holy fuck the fact that it's only 6-3 is as sure as a sign as anything that the court is broken

Ann M. Lipton @annmlipton.bsky.social · last mo.

Ilhan Omar represents the best of what America can be.

Ilhan Omar@ilhanmn.bsky.social · last mo.

I assimilated all the way to Congress and this idiot still tells me to go back where I came from.

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 3mo ago

My colleague Nora Freeman Engstrom has put together a guide for bringing tort suits against ICE law.stanford.edu/wp-content/u...

law.stanford.edu

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Every time I think I’ve seen the worst qualified immunity decision I can imagine, the federal courts release some new, fresh hell on my psyche.

Gabriel Malor@gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The highlighted portion was when I stood up and walked away from my desk for a minute. Sometimes, man. www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf...

During intake, Griswold needed assistance walking and refused to answer questions. He appeared lethargic. Once in the cell, he vomited one time, with some of the vomit landing on himself and the rest on the floor. Griswold briefly cleaned his face and mouth but did not ask for assistance and [HIGHLIGHT BEGINS] remained sitting in his vomit for nearly 13 hours. Beyond that, however, Griswold exhibited no signs of distress. [HIGHLIGHT ENDS] He largely remained in the same position, mostly seated against the wall, though he adjusted into a semi-lying position in the morning hours. Throughout the night and morning, defendants conducted numerous cell checks. Throughout the evening and morning, Griswold can be seen either moving his arms, legs, or head, occasionally readjusting his legs, folding or unfolding his arms, touching his face with his hands, or fixing his shirt.

Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 3mo ago

Meanwhile in Ohio

Josh Marshall@joshtpm.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Ohio Republicans Are Just Ignoring The State Supreme Court’s Anti-Gerrymandering Rulings. It’s Working. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ohio-re...

Eliza Orlins @elizaorlins.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Hi. There is some drama over on LawyerThreads. There’s a lawyer (who is also very active on Facebook) who is out in the world saying that the law is neutral. Just want to chime in as a career public defender and say THE LAW IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN FUCKING NEUTRAL. 🧵

Charlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 3mo ago

There is *a lot* to unpack here but I have to go meet with students so I'll just say: not enough "yikes" in the world.

To satisfy the second and third preconditions—politically cohesive voting by the minority and racial-bloc voting by the majority—the plaintiffs must provide an analysis that controls for party affiliation, showing that voters engage in racial-bloc voting that cannot be explained by partisan affiliation.

Steve Vladeck@stevevladeck.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Second (and last) #SCOTUS ruling is the big one, Louisiana v. Callais. For a 6-3 majority (Rs v. Ds), Justice Alito purports to narrow the ability of states to draw majority-minority districts as a remedy for race-based vote dilution, but, per Kagan's dissent, comes pretty close to gutting the VRA:

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 3mo ago

there is something genuinely clarifying and useful about this kind of stuff. they are totally hoods off and proud of it, which means we should not hesitate to describe them accordingly

Post nicht verfügbar.

Charles Johnson @charles.littlegreenfootballs.com · 4mo ago

Did I just argue with a joke?

Part of a Bluesky educational series

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I really wish these people had no power so that I could enjoy how hilarious this is instead of being terrified for what it means about how they’re going to further destroy our public health system.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3mo ago

RFK Jr: "A Democratic senator claimed it's mathematically impossible to have a drug drop by 600%. I said, 'Well, if the drug was $100 and it raises to $600, that would be a 600% rise. If it drops from $600 to $100, that's a 600% savings.'" Trump: "Right"

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Donald Trump 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 Terrence Howard Making up fake ways to do math that make no damn sense.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 4mo ago

RFK Jr: "President Trump has a different way of calculating percentages. If you have a $600 drug and you reduce it to $10, that's a 600% reduction."

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 4mo ago

i think it is cool that the president of the united states routinely slurs black people as biological inferior

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 4mo ago

Trump refers to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as "that new, Low IQ person"

How can the Democrats not like how the U.S. Supreme Court votes. The Democrat Justices stick together like glue, NEVER failing to wander from the warped and perverse policies, ideas, and cases put before them. They ALWAYS vote as a group, or BLOCK, even that new, Low IQ person, that somehow found her way to the bench (Sleepy Joe!). The Republican Justices don’t stick together, they give the Democrats win after win, like a 159 Billion Dollar pile of cash on a completely ridiculous Tariff decision, and nasty, one sided questions on the country destroying subject of Birthright Citizenship, something which virtually NO OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IS STUPID ENOUGH TO ALLOW. It was meant for the babies of slaves, not for the babies of Chinese Billionaires. No, certain “Republican” Justices have just gone weak, stupid, and bad, completely violating what they “supposedly” stood for. Handing over 159 Billion Dollars in Tariff refunds to people who have been Ripping Off our Country for years, is unexplainable. One little sentence would have stoped this record setting payment from having to be made. It is a travesty! Their Tariff decision was an unnecessary and expensive slap in the face to the U.S.A., and a giant victory for its opponents. If they rule against our Country on Birthright Citizenship, which they probably will, it will be even worse, if that’s possible. It will cost America massive amounts of money but, more importantly, it will cost America its DIGNITY! No, the Radical Left Democrats don’t need to “Pack the Court,” it’s already Packed! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Daniel Solove @daniel-solove.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Interested in becoming a law professor focusing on privacy and AI? Apply as soon as possible to GW Law’s VAP in Privacy & Technology Law. We start reviewing applications soon: www.law.gwu.edu/privacy-and-...

Privacy and Technology Law Fellowship | GW Law | The George Washington University

The Privacy and Technology Law Fellowship is designed to assist attorneys who are interested in pursuing a legal academic career in an area of privacy and technology law.

law.gwu.edu

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This is now so quaint that I saw the “Secretary of Education Omarosa” joke in the corner and my first thought was that she seems way too qualified and reasonable to be appointed now.

Niko Bowie@nikobowie.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Ten years ago today, in April 2016, the Boston Globe printed a satirical front page imagining a future Trump administration. The page was called "alarmist," "hyperbolic," "dystopian." But we’ve put up with so much since then it now looks like . . . a slow Thursday?

Boston Globe mock front page from April 9, 2016. Date says April 9, 2017, with giant headline “DEPORTATIONS TO BEGIN” and “Markets sink as trade war looms.”

Andrew Solender @andrewsolender.bsky.social · 4mo ago

By my count, there are now over 50 House Democrats, along with two Senate Democrats, who have called for Trump to be impeached or removed via the 25th Amendment for his post on Iran. More here: www.axios.com/2026/04/07/t...

House
1. Ansari
2. Omar
3. Pocan
4. Tlaib
5. DeGette
6. Thanedar
7. Stansbury
8. Khanna
9. Frost
10. Julie Johnson
11. Olszewski
12. Ramirez
13. Nikema Williams
14. Moulton
15. Pressley
16. Summer Lee
17. Magaziner
18. McBride
19. McCollum
20. Swalwell
21. Liccardo
22. Dexter
23. Ocasio-Cortez
24. Robert Garcia
25. Menendez
26. Castro
27. McClain Delaney
28. Fletcher
29. Simon
30. Watson Coleman
31. Mike Thompson
32. Hayes
33. Foushee
34. Ritchie Torres
35. Sylvia Garcia

36. Leger Fernandez
37. Pingree
38. Tonko
39. Lofgren
40. McGarvey
41. Dan Goldman
42. Espaillat
43. DeSaulnier
44. Schakowsky
45. Cohen
46. Jacobs
47. Trahan
48. Gomez
49. Grijalva
50. Sanchez
51. Matsui
52. Tokuda
53. Bonamici
54. Jayapal
55. Min

Senate
1. Markey
2. Wyden

Andrew Solender@andrewsolender.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Growing list of Dems calling for Trump's impeachment/25th Amendment: Ansari Omar Pocan Tlaib DeGette Thanedar Stansbury Khanna Frost Julie Johnson Olszewski Ramirez Nikema Williams Moulton Pressley Summer Lee Magaziner McBride McCollum More here @axios.com: www.axios.com/2026/04/07/t...

Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 4mo ago

More, faster.

Rep. Judy Chu@chu.house.gov · 4mo ago

gelbach @gelbach.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This is an appropriate statement.

Maxwell Frost@maxwellfrost.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The President is openly threatening genocide. A crime against humanity. He must be removed from office. The 25th Amendment must be invoked. If not, Congress has to do our damn job. Speaker Johnson, call us into session. War powers & impeachment. Remove this man from office.

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

If you find yourself plotting political violence online, best case scenario you are talking to a Fed. Worst case scenario is you are involved in a Pooh Shiesty wearing an ankle monitor to the robbery stupid-level plot that could get people—including you—hurt for no good reason. Don’t do it.

Big Ol’ Mush@chadstanton.blacksky.app · 4mo ago

The feds are going to be like “look at this weird motherfucker” and throw your picture up along with the plans you made with a definite federal agent to bomb something.

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 4mo ago

Right after they finish with trans youth, their moving on to target youth with ADHD and autism to satisfy their austerity driven eugenics project. They don't even dignify us with new talking points.

A screenshot of a mobile webpage from The Telegraph's Health section. The headline reads, "Have mental health labels like ADHD and autism gone too far? Some experts think so," followed by a subheadline stating, "As a new report reveals skyrocketing autism and ADHD rates, some experts believe self-diagnoses are overshadowing those in real need of help."

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Despite coming out on April 1, this is not an April Fool’s joke.

Anna Bower@annabower.bsky.social · 4mo ago

You gotta be kidding me

Opinion)
Constitutionality of the Presidential Records Act
The Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional because it exceeds Congress's enumerated and implied powers and aggrandizes the Legislative Branch at the expense of the constitutional independence and autonomy of the Executive.
April 1, 2026
MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
You have asked whether the Presidential Records Act of 1978 ("PRA" or "Act") is constitutional. We conclude that it is not.
The PRA is unconstitutional for two independent but interlocking reasons: It exceeds Congress's enumerated and implied powers, and it aggrandizes the Legislative Branch at the expense of the constitutional independence and autonomy of the Executive. "Every law enacted by Congress must be based on one or more of its powers enumerated in the Constitution," United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598, 607 2000), or
"such implied powers as are necessary and proper to carry into effect the enumerated powers," Carter v. Carter Coal Co., 298 U.S. 238, 291
(1936). And congressional attempts to regulate the Presidency directly raise heightened separation of powers concerns. See The Constitutional Separation of Powers Between the President and Congress, 20 Op. O.L.C.
124, 126-29 (1996) ("Separation of Powers").
The PRA exceeds the oversight power because it serves no identifiable and valid legislative purpose. It exceeds any preservation power because Congress cannot preserve presidential records merely for the sake of posterity. It exceeds Congress's regulatory power over statutory agencies because it purports to regulate a constitutional office-the Presidency— that Congress did not create and that Congress cannot abolish. It exceeds the spending power, because that power allows Congress to incentivize outcomes with federal funding, not to directly regulate coordinate branches of government. And it exceeds Congress's power to assist in the execution of the powers vested in coordinate branches because it restri…

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I guess I’ll join the chorus of lawyers explaining that SCOTUS didn’t strike down CO’s law yesterday, they said courts have to more closely interrogate it before upholding it. This, to be clear, is BAD for anyone who thinks CO’s ban is good and legal. But the fight in the courts is not over.

Drop Site@dropsitenews.com · 4mo ago

🗞️ Supreme Court strikes down CO conversion therapy ban SCOTUS ruled Tue. against CO's law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors, w/ an 8-1 majority finding the measure violates the 1st Am.'s free speech protections. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the court & joined by liberal justices...

🗞️ Supreme Court strikes down Colorado conversion therapy ban

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday against Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors, with an 8-1 majority finding the measure violates the First Amendment’s free speech protections.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the court and joined by liberal justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, said the law “censors speech based on viewpoint” and sent the case back to a lower court for further review.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone dissenter, warning the decision “opens a dangerous can of worms” that threatens states’ ability to regulate medical care. The ruling is expected to render similar laws in roughly two dozen other states unenforceable.

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

When they granted cert, I thought they were either seriously considering limiting birthright citizenship, or wanted to tell a Brown v. Board, 9-0 unity story with a politically salient, but legally slam dunk case.

MMichael C. Dorf@dorfonlaw.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Don't get me wrong: I'm relieved that this case is shaping up as either 8-1 or 7-2 against the Trump executive order. But the case is a gift to the Supreme Court. By rejecting an outlandish position, it will earn credibility as apolitical, even as the Overton window moves far to the right.

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A related fact people are surprised by: I’m part of the first generation of my family to be an equal citizen of this country. I was born in 1989.

TankFu (Gamer)@tankfu.bsky.social · 4mo ago

My school was about 50% black kids & I went to a HBCU in the same town for a couple semesters in the 90s. In all that time I’ve never heard a black friend mention how many generations of their family had been born free. Folks should do that more & publicly. Thank you for this new perspective.

Kyle Barry @kylecbarry.bsky.social · 4mo ago

BREAKING: The PA Supreme Court holds that mandatory life without parole sentences for all "felony murder" convictions -- a sentence more than 1,000 people in PA are serving -- violates the state constitution's "cruel" punishment ban. This is GROUNDBREAKING: www.pacourts.us/assets/opini...

CHIEF JUSTICE TODD OPINION No. 3 WAP 2024 Appeal from the Order of the Superior Court entered June 13, 2023, at No. 1008 WDA 2021, Affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County entered December 19, 2016, at No. CP-02-CR-0016878-2014. : : : : : : : : : : : ARGUED: October 8, 2024 DECIDED: MARCH 26, 2026 In this appeal by allowance, we granted allocatur to consider whether a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for a felony murder conviction violates the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article I, Section 13 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.1 For the reasons that follow, we determine that a mandatory life without parole sentence for all felony murder convictions, absent an assessment of culpability, is inconsistent with the protections bestowed upon our citizens

under the “cruel punishments” clause of our Commonwealth’s organic charter.2 Thus, we reverse the order of the Superior Court, vacate Appellant’s judgment of sentence, and remand for resentencing. However, as we have done under similar circumstances, we stay our order for 120 days to provide a reasonable amount of time for the General Assembly to consider remedial measures.

R. S. DIENG @drlandislife.bsky.social · 4mo ago

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UN votes to recognise slavery as 'gravest crime against humanity'

The landmark resolution calls for an apology and contributions to a reparations fund, without specifying an amount.

bbc.co.uk

Alison Siegler @alisonsiegler.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Incredibly excited and proud to share that last night, the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic’s groundbreaking litigation to end ATF’s discriminatory stash house stings—spanning four years and dozens of clients—was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver! Watch the segment here at 9:05 (1 of 4)

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver@lastweektonight.com · 5mo ago

Here’s last night’s story about police stings, why they can seem like they’re creating more crime than they’re stopping, and why, legally speaking, you are not allowed to be afraid of a six foot tall Donald Duck. youtu.be/LqwJFuntco4

Adam Davidson @sonofdavid.bsky.social · 5mo ago

At some point I want to collect all of the warnings that the liberal justices have been putting into their dissents about the conservative majority. This one’s less dramatic than some others, but Sotomayor noting that this is a “resurgence” of protecting violent cops is right.

Steve Vladeck@stevevladeck.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Today's #SCOTUS Order List includes a 6-3 summary reversal, in which the Republican appointees all vote, contra the Second Circuit, that qualifed immunity insulates a police officer from damages for using a rear wristlock against a nonviolent protestor. The Democratic appointees all dissent:

Isaac Chotiner @ichotiner.bsky.social · 5mo ago

New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

State Court Report @statecourtreport.org · 5mo ago

Are you a law student or recent graduate looking for clerkship opportunities? State Court Report is hosting a free virtual event on everything you need to know about clerking on a state supreme court. Judges from high courts across the country will share insights. RSVP today:

What to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme Court

Judges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates.

brennancenter.org