On this page you can find dispatches by Anna Bower, Molly Roberts, and Roger Parloff from court hearings in the litigation challenging actions from the Trump administration.
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Dispatch: Move Fast and Break Things and Nobody Has Standing
No court can stop President Trump’s ballroom, the government says in National Trust for Historic Preservation v. NPS. -
Fulton County’s Uphill Battle for Ballots
A recent hearing offered the clearest indication yet that Judge Boulee might rule against Fulton County's motion for return of property. -
Hearing Dispatch: A Catch-22 for the Pentagon Press Corps
Judge Paul Friedman hears a motion to compel compliance with his order to restore press access to the Pentagon. -
Lessons From the Minnesota Civil Contempt Case
“The government’s understaffing and high case load is a problem of its own making,” a federal judge observed. -
Cities Church Arraignment Signals Early Battles Over FACE Act and § 241
The hearing for Don Lemon and codefendants foreshadowed disputes over complex-case designation, grand jury disclosure, and the government’s handling of digital evidence. -
Minnesota v. Noem: A Hearing Diary for Jan. 26
A live-blog of the hearing where Judge Menendez considered whether to order a reduction in federal immigration law enforcement in the Twin Cities. -
Hearing Dispatch: NPR Fights Trump on the First Amendment
The plaintiffs argue the government is disfavoring speech it disagrees with. The government barely disputes that. -
Abrego v. Noem: A Hearing Diary for Nov. 20
A live-blog of testimony and argument at the hearing at which Judge Xinis weighed Abrego Garcia’s petition seeking release. -
Dispatch from the Nov. 13 Hearing on Lindsey Halligan’s Appointment
In a joint hearing in the Comey and James cases, Judge Currie appeared skeptical that Halligan had been properly appointed U.S. Attorney or that any error was harmless. -
Trial Dispatch: The Comey Hearing of Nov. 5, 2025
A judge ordered grand jury minutes turned over to James Comey, as well as information from five-year-old searches of Professor Dan Richman. -
Sandwich Guy, Thrower of Hoagie–Or Hero?
The trial ended in an acquittal. But the proceedings felt like a strange sort of performance art—highly amusing and highly menacing at the same time. -
Abrego Garcia v. Noem: A Hearing Diary, Oct. 10
A live-blog of the evidentiary hearing on whether Abrego is being unlawfully detained for punitive and political reasons.
