Cathy Gellis
@cathygellis.bsky.social
Lawyer, writer, all-around-great person
I mostly post about technology, law, and civil liberties (especially free speech), and how they intersect. And mostly at Techdirt: https://www.techdirt.com/user/cathy/
I also post silly things too.
I mostly post about technology, law, and civil liberties (especially free speech), and how they intersect. And mostly at Techdirt: https://www.techdirt.com/user/cathy/
I also post silly things too.
Pinned
Cathy Gellis
@cathygellis.bsky.social
· Jan 3
Oaths Of Office, And How Everyone Not Moving To Impeach Trump Is Violating Their Own
Until very recently the only member of Congress excused from not having moved to impeach Trump was Rep. Grijalva, because until someone swore her in there was nothing she could officially do. But f…
www.techdirt.com
A reminder: any member of Congress not impeaching is violating their own oath of office.
It's not optional.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
It's not optional.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
This is an objectively insane way to educate children and yet….
Going into junior high in the 70s we were tracked for EVERYTHING based on our 6th grade teacher's assessment of our math aptitude. You got advanced science, civics, & english all the way up through 12th grade. "Bad at math" in 6th grade? Didn't get to take the social studies AP exam in 11th grade.
February 11, 2026 at 4:41 AM
This is an objectively insane way to educate children and yet….
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
““That signal alone is sufficient to chill lawful protest,” Valenzuela continued. “The Court cannot permit a system in which prosecutorial discretion is used to impose punishment without adjudication, particularly when applied in the context of those protesting the government’s activities.””
NEW: Jonathon Redondo-Rosales, a 36-year-old LA protester, spent six months in jail accused of assaulting a federal officer with a *cloth hat.*
A judge tossed out the DOJ’s case, accusing govt of acting in “bad faith” and engaging in “prosecutorial harassment“ that could “chill lawful protest”
A judge tossed out the DOJ’s case, accusing govt of acting in “bad faith” and engaging in “prosecutorial harassment“ that could “chill lawful protest”
Case dismissed against LA protester accused of assaulting federal officer with cloth hat
Judge says US government acted in ‘bad faith’ in case of Jonathon Redondo-Rosales, 36, who spent six months in jail
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:45 AM
““That signal alone is sufficient to chill lawful protest,” Valenzuela continued. “The Court cannot permit a system in which prosecutorial discretion is used to impose punishment without adjudication, particularly when applied in the context of those protesting the government’s activities.””
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Just think of what would happen if it was instead "Pentagon buys US made solar" or "1M small-drone motors"? This sort of carrot works way better than the tariff stick, but to waste it on fucking coal power?!?!
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal to revive industry, Bloomberg News says reut.rs/46vkQiO
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal to revive industry, Bloomberg News says
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to direct the Pentagon to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain U.S. coal-fired power plants, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a White House official.
reut.rs
February 11, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Just think of what would happen if it was instead "Pentagon buys US made solar" or "1M small-drone motors"? This sort of carrot works way better than the tariff stick, but to waste it on fucking coal power?!?!
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
I’m seeing more and more Minneapolis/Minnesota people naming that they are burned out and I just hope people allow themselves to change their pacing from sprint to marathon or better yet, a relay.
Slow down if the alternative is you crashing out and not being able to do anything.
Slow down if the alternative is you crashing out and not being able to do anything.
February 11, 2026 at 4:42 AM
I’m seeing more and more Minneapolis/Minnesota people naming that they are burned out and I just hope people allow themselves to change their pacing from sprint to marathon or better yet, a relay.
Slow down if the alternative is you crashing out and not being able to do anything.
Slow down if the alternative is you crashing out and not being able to do anything.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Pithily sums up why Johnson is failing as Speaker. Everybody mock him till he cries, he's bad at things and his caucus might hate him?
February 11, 2026 at 4:06 AM
Pithily sums up why Johnson is failing as Speaker. Everybody mock him till he cries, he's bad at things and his caucus might hate him?
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
“The husband & wife before this court are charged w/civil violations of our country's immigration laws. Civil. Not criminal. That distinction is not a technicality or a formality. It’s the line the law draws betwn regulation & punishment. Yet these working parents appear in unmistakable prison garb.
Another memorable ruling out of West Virginia, where Judge Goodwin — a Clinton appointee — excoriates the treatment of ICE detainees.
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 11, 2026 at 3:32 AM
“The husband & wife before this court are charged w/civil violations of our country's immigration laws. Civil. Not criminal. That distinction is not a technicality or a formality. It’s the line the law draws betwn regulation & punishment. Yet these working parents appear in unmistakable prison garb.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
This one is in Longfellow
February 11, 2026 at 3:03 AM
This one is in Longfellow
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Helluva statement from Colorado Rep Crow (D) on the Trump administration's failure to indict him and others
February 11, 2026 at 2:35 AM
Helluva statement from Colorado Rep Crow (D) on the Trump administration's failure to indict him and others
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
But seriously. Y'all see how easy it is? Peel off three Republicans and start making Trump squirm. It's not as hard as Democrat leadership is telling you!
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 AM
But seriously. Y'all see how easy it is? Peel off three Republicans and start making Trump squirm. It's not as hard as Democrat leadership is telling you!
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Another memorable ruling out of West Virginia, where Judge Goodwin — a Clinton appointee — excoriates the treatment of ICE detainees.
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 11, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Another memorable ruling out of West Virginia, where Judge Goodwin — a Clinton appointee — excoriates the treatment of ICE detainees.
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
"This is not what civil enforcement looks like in a humane system of government under law."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
The Supreme Court later carved the Smith Act way back in a series of decisions in the late 1950s, and today the relevant provision of the law is almost certainly unconstitutional thanks to even more intervening First Amendment caselaw
February 11, 2026 at 2:38 AM
The Supreme Court later carved the Smith Act way back in a series of decisions in the late 1950s, and today the relevant provision of the law is almost certainly unconstitutional thanks to even more intervening First Amendment caselaw
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
the statute that Jeanine Pirro reportedly tried to indict congressional Dems under, 18 USC 2387, was originally passed as part of the 1947 Smith Act, a notorious law used to clamp down on free speech during the Red Scare
They tried to prosecute members of Congress under the Smith Act. Absolute scenes
February 11, 2026 at 2:37 AM
the statute that Jeanine Pirro reportedly tried to indict congressional Dems under, 18 USC 2387, was originally passed as part of the 1947 Smith Act, a notorious law used to clamp down on free speech during the Red Scare
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Hard reading. That's precisely why I recommend reading it.
When I got the contract to write a history of concentration camps in 2014, I hoped to keep the US from ending up here. That didn't work out! But now it's critical to understand how much is already in process and the enormity of what's coming. The sooner we act to stop it, the more people we'll save.
Building the camps
The warehouseification of detention and initial thoughts on stopping it.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Hard reading. That's precisely why I recommend reading it.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Jeanine Pirro tried to jail six Democratic Congress members for accurately stating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
She will forever be a person who has done that and must always be viewed through that prism.
She will forever be a person who has done that and must always be viewed through that prism.
It’s great that the grand jury said nix, but the attempt was a significant escalation.
Grand juries keep seeing through the Trump DOJ's naked attempts to intimidate critics and political rivals — this time for accurately stating that illegal orders must be disobeyed. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
February 11, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Jeanine Pirro tried to jail six Democratic Congress members for accurately stating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
She will forever be a person who has done that and must always be viewed through that prism.
She will forever be a person who has done that and must always be viewed through that prism.
Intuitively it seems like the courts where they were snatched from should retain jurisdiction - the idea of moving a detainee who may not be lawfully detainable to avoid jurisdiction seems antithetical to our legal tradition. Is there litigation trying to make this argument?
To my knowledge, moving prisoners around the country in an attempt to avoid habeas corpus review has been banned since at least the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679. Habeas corpus is, of course, protected in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution.
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/fe...
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/fe...
February 11, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Intuitively it seems like the courts where they were snatched from should retain jurisdiction - the idea of moving a detainee who may not be lawfully detainable to avoid jurisdiction seems antithetical to our legal tradition. Is there litigation trying to make this argument?
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Stanford is doing this because it wants to
February 11, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Stanford is doing this because it wants to
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
❗️LA tells its police to use bodycams to record ICE, also
banning federal immigration agents from using city property & fee on owners who allow federal agents to use private property
banning federal immigration agents from using city property & fee on owners who allow federal agents to use private property
LAPD to train their body cameras on immigration agents, under mayor's directive
LAPD to train their body cameras on immigration agents, under mayor's directive
Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive requiring LAPD officers to activate body cameras during federal immigration enforcement operations and preserve all footage.
www.latimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:16 AM
❗️LA tells its police to use bodycams to record ICE, also
banning federal immigration agents from using city property & fee on owners who allow federal agents to use private property
banning federal immigration agents from using city property & fee on owners who allow federal agents to use private property
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
I missed this: Gallup: "40% of [US] women aged 15 to 44 say they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity." (Was 10% in 2014.)
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
February 11, 2026 at 12:29 AM
I missed this: Gallup: "40% of [US] women aged 15 to 44 say they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity." (Was 10% in 2014.)
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
It’s great that the grand jury said nix, but the attempt was a significant escalation.
Grand juries keep seeing through the Trump DOJ's naked attempts to intimidate critics and political rivals — this time for accurately stating that illegal orders must be disobeyed. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:09 AM
It’s great that the grand jury said nix, but the attempt was a significant escalation.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Holy shit.
February 11, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Holy shit.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
So @aoc.bsky.social are you ready to file an article of impeachment against the president overseeing concentration camps springing up across the United States? How about forcing a vote on the articles filed against Noem? Anything???
@citizensimpeachment.com
@citizensimpeachment.com
AOC on DHS Warehouses: I think every American should be alarmed. They are building—and have built—a black box system that disappears people, both immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.
February 10, 2026 at 4:12 AM
So @aoc.bsky.social are you ready to file an article of impeachment against the president overseeing concentration camps springing up across the United States? How about forcing a vote on the articles filed against Noem? Anything???
@citizensimpeachment.com
@citizensimpeachment.com
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
NEW: The DOJ built its case to seize Fulton County’s election records on recycled, debunked conspiracy theories, experts say.
Former prosecutors and election experts are questioning how in the world a judge found probable cause.
Former prosecutors and election experts are questioning how in the world a judge found probable cause.
‘An absolute travesty': Critics slam affidavit behind Fulton raid for relying on 2020 election lies
The affidavit reinforced fears that the FBI’s seizure was not about uncovering new evidence but about resurrecting a false narrative.
www.democracydocket.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:06 AM
NEW: The DOJ built its case to seize Fulton County’s election records on recycled, debunked conspiracy theories, experts say.
Former prosecutors and election experts are questioning how in the world a judge found probable cause.
Former prosecutors and election experts are questioning how in the world a judge found probable cause.
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad
February 10, 2026 at 8:18 PM
we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
European governments are beginning to respond to warnings about the possibility of a war with Russia. But few of the continent’s western countries have anything comparable to the war readiness of the Nordics, Baltics and Poland
Europe’s generals are warning people to prepare for war
But western European societies are in denial
econ.st
February 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
European governments are beginning to respond to warnings about the possibility of a war with Russia. But few of the continent’s western countries have anything comparable to the war readiness of the Nordics, Baltics and Poland
Reposted by Cathy Gellis
Khanna: There were two rounds of redactions. There was the original FBI redactions… and they did a second round of redactions at the DOJ. What they’re showing members now is the unredacted version of the DOJ’s redactions—not the original FBI redactions. They’re in blatant violation of the law.
February 11, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Khanna: There were two rounds of redactions. There was the original FBI redactions… and they did a second round of redactions at the DOJ. What they’re showing members now is the unredacted version of the DOJ’s redactions—not the original FBI redactions. They’re in blatant violation of the law.