Cristian Farias
@cristianfarias.com
Legal journalist and beachgoer. I write about courts, the law, and the politics shaping them for @vanityfair.com, @nymag.com, and @newyorker.com. Host of The Bully's Pulpit.
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Cristian Farias
@cristianfarias.com
· Mar 26
How John Roberts Has Empowered a Lawless Presidency
The Chief Justice’s rebuke of Donald Trump over his calls to impeach judges obscures Roberts’s own role in fostering the destruction in Washington.
www.newyorker.com
For @newyorker.com: I wrote a crash course on how John Roberts empowered the current destruction and lawlessness in Washington.
There’s a perception this began with the immunity ruling, but he has long been pushing the idea of an unrestrained, unchecked presidency. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
There’s a perception this began with the immunity ruling, but he has long been pushing the idea of an unrestrained, unchecked presidency. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
I think I’m going to have an aneurysm.
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
I think I’m going to have an aneurysm.
Meanwhile, people unconstitutionally seized or brutalized by ICE agents can’t sue them because there’s no private right of action for them to do that.
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue Over Jack Smith Searches
Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Meanwhile, people unconstitutionally seized or brutalized by ICE agents can’t sue them because there’s no private right of action for them to do that.
Thanks, now the frenzy can die down.
New: The Supreme Court DENIES Kim Davis' request to overturn Obergefell, the marriage equality decision. No noted dissents. www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...
November 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Thanks, now the frenzy can die down.
Reposted by Cristian Farias
This is the correct explanation of what happened tonight👇
KBJ threaded the needle thanks to CA1’s unfinished business.
-if she denied the admin stay, the full SCOTUS woulda stepped in to override her.
-if she immediately referred the case to the full Court, they coulda dragged feet.
-instead she boxed them in to act quickly once she does refer the case.
-if she denied the admin stay, the full SCOTUS woulda stepped in to override her.
-if she immediately referred the case to the full Court, they coulda dragged feet.
-instead she boxed them in to act quickly once she does refer the case.
November 8, 2025 at 3:35 AM
This is the correct explanation of what happened tonight👇
Here’s the ruling, which is a public document freely available on the internet that should take any reporter about one minute to find and share widely: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 8, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Here’s the ruling, which is a public document freely available on the internet that should take any reporter about one minute to find and share widely: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Cristian Farias
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Ryan is doing justice to his @huffpost.com roots with this phrasing, and I love it.
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Ryan is doing justice to his @huffpost.com roots with this phrasing, and I love it.
Reposted by Cristian Farias
NEW: On the shadow docket, the Supreme Court lets Trump resume misgendering trans Americans on their passports, claiming "the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment." All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
![This case concerns an Executive Branch policy requiring
all new passports to display an individual’s biological sex at
birth. The United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts preliminarily enjoined the Government
from enforcing the policy, and the First Circuit declined to
stay the injunction pending appeal. The Government then
filed this stay application. Applying our familiar stay fac-
tors at this preliminary stage, we grant the application.
Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends
equal protection principles than displaying their country of
birth—in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to
a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential
treatment. And on this record, respondents have failed to
establish that the Government’s choice to display biological
sex “lack[s] any purpose other than a bare . . . desire to
harm a politically unpopular group.” Trump v. Hawaii, 585
U. S. 667, 705 (2018) (internal quotation marks omitted).
Nor are respondents likely to prevail in arguing that the
State Department acted arbitrarily and capriciously by de-
clining to depart from Presidential rules that Congress ex-
pressly required it to follow. See 22 U. S. C. §211a.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6h7b2i6ttw3l4t7pvbvxdith/bafkreiacrtgoecxjy5y7ojz7xzbun4c4nwutjcvqn4qb4p25ldpt6va5lu@jpeg)
November 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
NEW: On the shadow docket, the Supreme Court lets Trump resume misgendering trans Americans on their passports, claiming "the government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment." All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
If you ever hear anyone say that FedSoc is simply a nonpartisan debating club that takes no position on hotly contested issues of legal or public policy, show them this:
Victory coins for attendees at the Federalist Society convention citing major conservatives wins at the Supreme Court:
November 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
If you ever hear anyone say that FedSoc is simply a nonpartisan debating club that takes no position on hotly contested issues of legal or public policy, show them this:
Today in originalism:
Victory coins for attendees at the Federalist Society convention citing major conservatives wins at the Supreme Court:
November 6, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Today in originalism:
November 6, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The tariffs may go down in flames at the Supreme Court, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.
To this day, John Roberts has shown no indication of wishing to dial back the worst aspects of his disastrous immunity decision, which the Trump administration is weaponizing in three other key cases.
To this day, John Roberts has shown no indication of wishing to dial back the worst aspects of his disastrous immunity decision, which the Trump administration is weaponizing in three other key cases.
The Three Months That Could Make Trump King
In each presidential power grab, you can find the fingerprints of John Roberts. The worst may be yet to come.
nymag.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The tariffs may go down in flames at the Supreme Court, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.
To this day, John Roberts has shown no indication of wishing to dial back the worst aspects of his disastrous immunity decision, which the Trump administration is weaponizing in three other key cases.
To this day, John Roberts has shown no indication of wishing to dial back the worst aspects of his disastrous immunity decision, which the Trump administration is weaponizing in three other key cases.
Make Legislative History Great Again
By Ketanji Brown Jackson
By Ketanji Brown Jackson
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Make Legislative History Great Again
By Ketanji Brown Jackson
By Ketanji Brown Jackson
The nation could have had four more years of Elizabeth Prelogar as solicitor general.
Instead, we have John Sauer.
Instead, we have John Sauer.
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The nation could have had four more years of Elizabeth Prelogar as solicitor general.
Instead, we have John Sauer.
Instead, we have John Sauer.
How Tuesday’s Blue Tsunami Should Humble Our Anti-Majoritarian Supreme Court. (It Won’t.)
In this essay, I will …
In this essay, I will …
November 5, 2025 at 1:56 PM
How Tuesday’s Blue Tsunami Should Humble Our Anti-Majoritarian Supreme Court. (It Won’t.)
In this essay, I will …
In this essay, I will …
Reposted by Cristian Farias
From an actual filing by the U.S. DOJ: The court erred in requiring us to produce discovery. Therefore, instead of asking the court to reconsider its order, or appealing it, we're simply going to disregard it. "Respectfully submitted, Lindsey Halligan."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
#46 in United States v. James (E.D. Va., 2:25-cr-00122) – CourtListener.com
NOTICE Of Reasons for Not Providing Pre-Vindictive/Selective Prosecution Motion Related Discovery by USA as to Letitia A. James (Keller, Roger) (Entered: 11/04/2025)
storage.courtlistener.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:03 PM
From an actual filing by the U.S. DOJ: The court erred in requiring us to produce discovery. Therefore, instead of asking the court to reconsider its order, or appealing it, we're simply going to disregard it. "Respectfully submitted, Lindsey Halligan."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Cristian Farias
What we know, final edition of the night:
[Now in 3 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems gain leg seats in VA, NJ, & MS
—Dems defend NJ-Gov
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win state supreme court
—ME anti-mail voting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
[Now in 3 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems gain leg seats in VA, NJ, & MS
—Dems defend NJ-Gov
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win state supreme court
—ME anti-mail voting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
November 5, 2025 at 6:48 AM
What we know, final edition of the night:
[Now in 3 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems gain leg seats in VA, NJ, & MS
—Dems defend NJ-Gov
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win state supreme court
—ME anti-mail voting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
[Now in 3 parts]
—Prop 50 wins
—VA Dems flip Gov, LG, AG
—Dems gain leg seats in VA, NJ, & MS
—Dems defend NJ-Gov
—Dems win NJ+VA trifectas
—Mamdani wins
—PA Dems win state supreme court
—ME anti-mail voting measure loses
—GA Dems flip 2 statewide offices
Reposted by Cristian Farias
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 3:33 AM
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Zohran Mamdani was the first mayoral candidate and Democratic official to stand up to the Trump administration over the arrest and disappearance of Mahmoud Khalil, which he saw as a violation of the First Amendment.
New York assemblyman Zohran Mamdani confronts Border Czar Tom Homan today in Albany 👇🏻
November 5, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Zohran Mamdani was the first mayoral candidate and Democratic official to stand up to the Trump administration over the arrest and disappearance of Mahmoud Khalil, which he saw as a violation of the First Amendment.
Reposted by Cristian Farias
Justice Alito won’t be in a good mood tomorrow.
November 5, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Justice Alito won’t be in a good mood tomorrow.
Reposted by Cristian Farias
Trump on the tariff case being argued tomorrow at SCOTUS : “Tomorrow’s SCOTUS case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country…. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
November 4, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Trump on the tariff case being argued tomorrow at SCOTUS : “Tomorrow’s SCOTUS case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country…. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
November 4, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Cristian Farias
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
November 4, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."