Deb Golden
@debgoldendc.bsky.social
Lawyer. Not your lawyer. Mother. Not your mother.
By day (and frankly nights and weekends), a civil rights lawyer for people who are incarcerated. Other times, just exhausted.
Washington DC based.
By day (and frankly nights and weekends), a civil rights lawyer for people who are incarcerated. Other times, just exhausted.
Washington DC based.
When your administration has lost Judge Leon
BREAKING: Judge blocks Hegseth effort to punish Sen. Kelly.
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
"This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees."
Background: www.lawdork.com/p/breaking-k...
![UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARK KELLY,
Plaintiff,
Civil Case No. 26-81 (RJL)
V.
PETE HEGSETH, et al.,
Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
February 12, 2026 [Dkt. #2]
United States Senator Mark Kelly, a retired naval officer, has been censured by
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for voicing certain opinions on military actions and
policy. In addition, he has been subjected to proceedings to possibly reduce his retirement
rank and pay and threatened with criminal prosecution if he continues to speak out on these
issues.
Secretary Hegseth relies on the well-established doctrine that military
servicemembers enjoy less vigorous First Amendment protections given the fundamental
obligation for obedience and discipline in the armed forces. Unfortunately for Secretary
Hegseth, no court has ever extended those principles to retired servicemembers, much less a retired servicemember serving in Congress and exercising oversight responsibility over
the military. This Court will not be the first to do so!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiclbgaenrhgnor6zvmnfql4d3olwzqp7zikm3maum5ylc4m6epys4@jpeg)
February 13, 2026 at 12:07 AM
When your administration has lost Judge Leon
Reposted by Deb Golden
If you're an attorney in Minnesota, the MSBA is offering a CLE this Friday (2/13), at noon, about the latest developments in our communities' legal needs, and providing guidance on how attorneys in all practice areas can support efforts to meet them. Free for members
mnbars.org?pg=events&ev...
mnbars.org?pg=events&ev...
Urgent Legal Needs Forum: Supporting Minnesota’s Immigrant Communities During a Time of Heightened Need
mnbars.org
February 11, 2026 at 8:19 PM
If you're an attorney in Minnesota, the MSBA is offering a CLE this Friday (2/13), at noon, about the latest developments in our communities' legal needs, and providing guidance on how attorneys in all practice areas can support efforts to meet them. Free for members
mnbars.org?pg=events&ev...
mnbars.org?pg=events&ev...
Both as a lawyer and as a former DC grand juror (18 months) I cannot fathom how insane that presentation must have been
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
No grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold in failed indictment of Democratic lawmakers
None of the D.C. grand jurors who heard the Trump administration’s pitch on why they should indict Democratic lawmakers over a video urging members of the
www.nbcnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Both as a lawyer and as a former DC grand juror (18 months) I cannot fathom how insane that presentation must have been
Purim spiels and performances of Twelfth Night soon to be illegal in Arizona.
(Not really, won't pass, would be enjoined if it did, but FFS)
(Not really, won't pass, would be enjoined if it did, but FFS)
Should letting your child enter a building where drag performers exist be a felony crime, on par with burglary and assault? At least one Arizona lawmaker thinks so! We'll find out later today if any of his colleagues agree.. reason.com/2026/02/04/a...
Arizona bill would make it a felony for parents to bring their kids to drag shows
Making felons out of parents who bring their kids to age appropriate drag performances is yet another reminder how far panic over gender norms has gone.
reason.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Purim spiels and performances of Twelfth Night soon to be illegal in Arizona.
(Not really, won't pass, would be enjoined if it did, but FFS)
(Not really, won't pass, would be enjoined if it did, but FFS)
A jury would never convict. MFer really should have known better is a valid defense.
February 10, 2026 at 1:09 PM
A jury would never convict. MFer really should have known better is a valid defense.
I needed extensions in school, but just because I couldn't get my shit together
Uhhh. Yes. You can have the extension to (checks notes) COMPETE AT THE OLYMPICS www.nbclosangeles.com/olympics/202...
Figure skater asks professor for extension on assignment: 'I was competing in the Olympics'
Madeline Schizas missed the deadline for an assignment because she was competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
www.nbclosangeles.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:58 PM
I needed extensions in school, but just because I couldn't get my shit together
Relatedly, is there a labeler that will tell me where accounts are based?
Or one that gives the best guess as to what decade of life people are in,
Or one that gives the best guess as to what decade of life people are in,
Will’s spot on here, there’s a kind of person online who seeks out the absolute moral high ground, sometimes in an annoying way, sometimes in incredibly bad faith, that just isn’t worth engaging with online. If you want to make a serious accusation as a stranger you need to do it in a serious way.
What you guys need to understand is that if you want me to take your accusations of racism/misogyny/transphobia/etc. seriously, you first need to satisfy the gateway criterion of not acting like malicious freaks who are incredibly thrilled to make those accusations. Then we can talk like adults
February 10, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Relatedly, is there a labeler that will tell me where accounts are based?
Or one that gives the best guess as to what decade of life people are in,
Or one that gives the best guess as to what decade of life people are in,
I wasn't aware until I saw this, and I know that it is unlikely to pass, but the idea of a bill that would deport people for religious beliefs has made me physically nauseated.
It's a repulsive betrayal of bedrock American values that this has even come to a hearing
It's a repulsive betrayal of bedrock American values that this has even come to a hearing
The idea of a bill rendering people deportable for following religious law should make every Jew ill
Tomorrow I will testify before subcommittee of House Judiciary Committee against the proposed "Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act," which would authorize exclusion/deportation of all or most non-citizen Muslim immigrants. My written testimony posted here: reason.com/wp-content/u...
February 10, 2026 at 12:23 PM
I wasn't aware until I saw this, and I know that it is unlikely to pass, but the idea of a bill that would deport people for religious beliefs has made me physically nauseated.
It's a repulsive betrayal of bedrock American values that this has even come to a hearing
It's a repulsive betrayal of bedrock American values that this has even come to a hearing
Reposted by Deb Golden
If BlueSky is gonna use crappy AI-generated alt text on gifs while simultaneously lecturing me on the importance of using alt text the least they could do is let me permanently modify the alt text the way I want it on certain gifs so I don't have to retype it Every. Fucking. Time.
February 10, 2026 at 4:33 AM
If BlueSky is gonna use crappy AI-generated alt text on gifs while simultaneously lecturing me on the importance of using alt text the least they could do is let me permanently modify the alt text the way I want it on certain gifs so I don't have to retype it Every. Fucking. Time.
I have a new anthem.
February 10, 2026 at 2:52 AM
I have a new anthem.
There's a lot to unpack here (approvingly)
What jumps out is that rejecting casual sexism is good not only on its own terms, but probably can save your own hide.
What jumps out is that rejecting casual sexism is good not only on its own terms, but probably can save your own hide.
Hey, my name is in the Epstein files! I've told the story before, but should probably re-up.
TLDR: never met the guy, never took (or asked for) any money from him, never visited the island. I was invited to the island, and said no.
It's not that hard to just say no.
TLDR: never met the guy, never took (or asked for) any money from him, never visited the island. I was invited to the island, and said no.
It's not that hard to just say no.
February 9, 2026 at 5:06 PM
There's a lot to unpack here (approvingly)
What jumps out is that rejecting casual sexism is good not only on its own terms, but probably can save your own hide.
What jumps out is that rejecting casual sexism is good not only on its own terms, but probably can save your own hide.
Imagine having more money than Gd and deciding to destroy one of the world's greatest journalism institutions.
February 8, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Imagine having more money than Gd and deciding to destroy one of the world's greatest journalism institutions.
Reposted by Deb Golden
#DC people. Disco Inferno to support #TakomaPark Mobilization (in Dupont). 100% of tickets sales will directly support families impacted by recent federal immigration actions. (Also I'll be there with a few stir crazy friends tired of snowcrete.)
www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
Melt the Ice Disco Inferno (A Retro Dance Party)
Have you been craving a good old-school 70s disco party—the kind where you dance all night, sing at the top of your lungs, and forget your worries for a few glorious hours?So were we. And we decided t...
www.zeffy.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:47 PM
#DC people. Disco Inferno to support #TakomaPark Mobilization (in Dupont). 100% of tickets sales will directly support families impacted by recent federal immigration actions. (Also I'll be there with a few stir crazy friends tired of snowcrete.)
www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
Reposted by Deb Golden
sabrina carpenter singing islands in the stream w the muppets has healed me in ways i did not know i needed
February 6, 2026 at 2:46 AM
sabrina carpenter singing islands in the stream w the muppets has healed me in ways i did not know i needed
Reposted by Deb Golden
The companies/law firms that these men in the Epstein files work for all knew about these internal emails years ago. They just never thought they’d be released.
Don’t forget that.
Don’t forget that.
February 5, 2026 at 2:17 PM
The companies/law firms that these men in the Epstein files work for all knew about these internal emails years ago. They just never thought they’d be released.
Don’t forget that.
Don’t forget that.
Man who is open about lack of moral backbone also privately lacks moral backbone
Brad Karp to step down as Paul Weiss chair after Epstein revelations ft.trib.al/H1vYT7B
Brad Karp to step down as Paul Weiss chair after Epstein revelations
Files released by US Department of Justice detailed his relationship with the child sex offender
ft.trib.al
February 5, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Man who is open about lack of moral backbone also privately lacks moral backbone
If Mackenzie Scott were as petty as I am, she'd announce today that she's endowing a fund to run an actual, well-staffed newspaper in Washington DC.
February 4, 2026 at 9:43 PM
If Mackenzie Scott were as petty as I am, she'd announce today that she's endowing a fund to run an actual, well-staffed newspaper in Washington DC.
Bezos could run the Post and unprecedented levels of staffing and resources and never even notice the personal financial impact.
He's just cravenly evil
He's just cravenly evil
February 4, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Bezos could run the Post and unprecedented levels of staffing and resources and never even notice the personal financial impact.
He's just cravenly evil
He's just cravenly evil
Reposted by Deb Golden
I’ve been thinking a lot these days about how the Right’s/MAGA’s first & biggest case of projection was accusations of “snowflake.” So obviously telling now.
The "fuck your feeling" crowd does have the thinnest skin
Floored by this story. A man wrote a pollite email to a federal prosecutor objecting to the deportation of an Afghan seeking asylum. DHS responded with an administrative warrant to get the man's info from Google, then visited his home to intimidate him.
February 4, 2026 at 3:33 AM
I’ve been thinking a lot these days about how the Right’s/MAGA’s first & biggest case of projection was accusations of “snowflake.” So obviously telling now.
Very strange to be fully suited and makeupped and dinner by 8 am
Up early bc I'm testifying (ahem, giving evidence) by video in a London court.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
February 4, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Very strange to be fully suited and makeupped and dinner by 8 am
I don't want to hear from someone who as a matter of doctrine rejects the Oral Law that context is critical.
Speaking on behalf of a religion that actively sought to spread itself to every country in the world whether invited or not, Speaker Johnson would like to share with you the Biblical case for strong borders.
February 4, 2026 at 12:23 PM
I don't want to hear from someone who as a matter of doctrine rejects the Oral Law that context is critical.
Read this thread. Amazing. Awesome, in the original sense
A few days ago, I stood in the graveyard of an 1100 year old church, getting damper and damper in the drizzling rain.
A woman walked into the graveyard, waved, said hello, and, as we had previously arranged, handed me a paper bag full of human bones.
The life of a churchwarden is a strange one...
A woman walked into the graveyard, waved, said hello, and, as we had previously arranged, handed me a paper bag full of human bones.
The life of a churchwarden is a strange one...
February 4, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Read this thread. Amazing. Awesome, in the original sense
Up early bc I'm testifying (ahem, giving evidence) by video in a London court.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
February 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Up early bc I'm testifying (ahem, giving evidence) by video in a London court.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
Confirmed still not a morning person, but a quiet house for my cup of coffee is nice.
Sometimes you gotta go all in with the language
February 4, 2026 at 1:37 AM
Sometimes you gotta go all in with the language
The "fuck your feeling" crowd does have the thinnest skin
Floored by this story. A man wrote a pollite email to a federal prosecutor objecting to the deportation of an Afghan seeking asylum. DHS responded with an administrative warrant to get the man's info from Google, then visited his home to intimidate him.
DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email
The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.
newrepublic.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:37 AM
The "fuck your feeling" crowd does have the thinnest skin