"If the United States mean to obtain or deserve the full praise due to wise and just governments, they will equally respect the rights of property, and the property in rights." James Madison, 1792

RT @IJ: When a city declares your property “blighted,” it’s not just a label—it’s a threat. Being classified as “blighted” may open the do….

RT @ArifPanju: 🚨Petty tyrant alert; @IJ is on the case. Congrats to @JessicaBigbie and team -- the government cannot use its power to pick….

Texas officers were stopping drivers for no cause, interrogating them, and searching their cars using bogus dog alerts. And the scheme nabbed mostly innocent people. You have to watch this @johnbryanesq video with @windyjosh92:

Churro is adopting to the new early morning return to school schedule. “Why are the humans getting up 2 hours earlier?”

RT @IJ: “John Adams famously said that we are a nation of laws, not of men. That is not true if federal agents can, with impunity, strip A….

RT @IJ: Last week, IJ launched the Plate Privacy Project—a nationwide campaign to push back against the arbitrary and unrestrained use of a….

RT @Kinger_DC: Today, @IJ partnered with business owners and activists in Philly to urge city council to recall a business curfew ordinance….

RT @pjaicomo: My friend and former co-counsel, John, has a great new video out on @IJ case Schott v. Babb, which challenges unconstitutiona….

RT @andrewwimer: 🚨Incredible news! An appeals court said Army vet Brian Moore should get every dollar back that DEA agents wrongly took fro….

RT @DanAlban: BREAKING: @IJ Victory in #Forfeiture Appeal 🧵. Brian Moore's $8500 was wrongfully seized by DEA @ATLAirport in 2021. After….

It's another great win in @IJ's fight against civil forfeiture. Read more about our major class action case against airport searches and seizures here: END.

More broadly, this is another blow against abusive airport shakedowns. It comes on the heels of Eric Andre and Clayton English reviving their suit and less than a year after the DEA ended its program focused on airports.

It's a huge risk for attorneys to take on a case defending property less valuable than the hours they will bill fighting for their client. The government having to pay fees when it loses levels the playing field a bit.

The appeals court agreed that Brian squarely won and his attorneys are entitled to fees. This is really important for forfeiture cases because the government often seizes money in small amounts.

The government dismissed "without prejudice," meaning it couldn't change its mind and try to take the money again later. There's really no way that Brian could have prevailed more. Are people supposed to oppose the dismissal of the case against them?.

The law firm had spent more than $15K defending Brian but he only owed 1/3 of the cash he recovered per his agreement with the firm. At that point, @IJ took over to appeal to the 11th Circuit.

Brian's $8,500 was seized and the government tried to forfeit it without ever charging him with a crime. He found @sammislaw and fought back. The govt dismissed the case but the district court said that Brian didn't "substantially prevail" and wasn't entitled to fees.

Here's @IJ's release and link to the decision:

🚨Incredible news! An appeals court said Army vet Brian Moore should get every dollar back that DEA agents wrongly took from him at the Atlanta airport. When you fight civil forfeiture and win, the government should pay attorneys' fees.

Proud Dad moment: my son just texted me his watch from class to ask what the names of the history podcasts I listen to are: @TheRestHistory and @mikeduncan Revolutions.