Beth Colgan
LightNews LightNews
banner
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Beth Colgan
@bethcolgan.bsky.social
1.4K followers 960 following 59 posts
Law professor at UCLA Law, studying fines, forfeitures, financial punishment, and poverty.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1478076
Posts Replies Media Videos
bethcolgan.bsky.social
This looks amazing — congrats on and thank you for your work.
bhighsmith.bsky.social Brian Highsmith @bhighsmith.bsky.social · 2d
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Yay!!!
jcschwartzprof.bsky.social Joanna Schwartz @jcschwartzprof.bsky.social · Sep 12
I'm thrilled to announce that I've been named The Honorable Harry Pregerson Professor of Law at @law.ucla.edu. Clerking for and knowing HP was inspiring beyond words & I'm honored to get to carry his name.

For some thoughts I shared about HP last November: www.joannaschwartz.net/a-few-though...
September 12, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
kclausing.bsky.social
Survey respondents are connecting the dots between Trump's ruinous fixation on tariffs/deportations and their own dissatisfaction with economic disruption and cost increases.

wapo.st/4n4W7ru
September 2, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
kclausing.bsky.social
Before folks join ICE they might want to read the literature on immigration, which contradicts many of their assumptions about how immigrants affect the United States. Or they could just watch this "recruitment" video which might help:
youtu.be/OjGHf7OvglM

wapo.st/3VrzEJg
At an ICE career expo, thousands line up to ‘defend the homeland’
An ex-Marine, a former professional MMA fighter, a retired officer: Meet the people angling to join ICE and carry out President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
wapo.st
September 2, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
jfallows.bsky.social
This firefighter arrived in the US at age 4, has been here for 19 years, was on track to legal status, and was on a crew trying to contain a major blaze (in Washington state, vs Oregon, fwiw.)

h/t @joshuajfriedman.com

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Firefighter arrested by US border agents was on track for legal status, lawyers say
Lawyers say arrest of man fighting Bear Gulch fire in Oregon was illegal and demand immediate release from detention
www.theguardian.com
August 30, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
segalmr.bsky.social
MAINE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT:

*ME Constitution provides greater protection against self-incrimination than U.S. Constitution.

*Any waiver of that protection must be "clear and unequivocal."

*Officers must "stop to clarify" ambiguous waivers.
www.courts.maine.gov/courts/sjc/l...
State v. McClain case caption We do not specify that the waiver be given orally or in writing, but we require that it be clear and unequivocal, like we require for all waivers of constitutional rights. If the waiver of the privilege is ambiguous, an officer must, before any questioning, stop to clarify whether the individual is in fact waiving the privilege against self-incrimination. If, after a suspect waives the privilege against self-incrimination, there is any ambiguous invocation of the privilege, including the attendant right to counsel, the officer must stop any questioning and clarify whether the individual is attempting to invoke the privilege against self-incrimination. If the privilege is being invoked, questioning must cease.
August 31, 2025 at 1:00 AM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
This is well worth a listen.
luciaromano.bsky.social Lucia Romano, MBA @luciaromano.bsky.social · Aug 22
Holy shit. This legit gave me chills.

Texas State Rep. Ann Johnson clapped back at GOP members amid Wednesday's redistricting vote.

WHITE WOMEN, this is the model. We have more power than others. We are the last to be silenced. We have a responsibility to SPEAK so others are HEARD.
August 23, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
blakeprof.bsky.social
🚨 150 University of California law professors (and counting) have now signed this open letter to the UC Regents and other officials, explaining the flagrant illegality of the Trump Administration’s UCLA funding cut offs, and urging the UC to fight back. sites.google.com/view/uclawfa...
Dear President Milliken, Regents, and Governor Newsom, As faculty members of University of California law schools, we endorse Governor Newsom's commitment to resist the Trump Administration's unlawful actions taken against the University of California, Los Angeles. The Governor is on firm legal ground. The Trump Administration's termination and suspension of federal funds has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in numerous ways. Governor Newsom and the University of California Regents will protect the vital interests not only of Californians but of all Americans if they defend the University of California's rights. The U.S. Department of Justice notified UCLA on July 29, 2025, that it had found that UCLA had "violated its obligations under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." Chancellor Frenk subsequently announced that "the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons" for federal grant terminations. UCLA faces losses of at least $584 million, funding that has supported vital research on matters ranging from treatments for pancreatic cancer to advances in online security. The Trump Administration has made no pretense of following the law. Title VI permits a federal agency to terminate funding only if it has found that the particular program receiving that funding has violated the law's non-discrimination provisions. Funding cannot disappear just because the agency's policy or political preferences differ from the institution's. Moreover, the agency can act only after following specific procedural steps. Importantly, Title VI requires a formal administrative hearing—a proceeding much like a trial-before the agency can terminate funding. At the hearing, the agency would have the burden of proving the university's alleged violations of Title VI before an impartial decision-maker. If the agency prevails at the hearing, the university or other interested persons could appea… factually supported and consistent with civil rights laws. Without the steps Title VI requires, there is no protection against an administration alleging discrimination as a pretext to force compliance with its policy or partisan preferences. Title VI's procedures guarantee the constitutional due process requirement that no person can be deprived of liberty or property without fair notice and opportunity to be heard. They protect the university and its members' academic freedom, an endowment essential to scientific research, intellectual discovery, and open debate. We are deeply committed to the core principle of non-discrimination codified in Title VI and in the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The principle that no person may suffer discrimination because of race, color, or national origin protects equality and ensures fairness in political as well as social life. Allegations of discrimination deserve serious and careful consideration and, where established, effective redress. But this enforcement effort must follow the law. We urge Governor Newsom and the UC Regents to continue to stand up for the fundamental principles of the rule of law, due process, and equal protection. A defense of the University of California's rights in court will model respect for these bedrock principles of equality and fairness, and it will ensure that the government honors them. The Trump Administration's failure to abide by the law subverts these principles by denying the University of California a fair opportunity to contest the government's charges of unlawful discrimination before an impartial decisionmaker. It is precisely because we cherish the principles of the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution that we encourage Governor Newsom, the UC Regents, and the University of California to fight back. Through its grantmaking powers, the federal government wields vast influence over social and economic life. If not held to account by the procedural protections enacted by Congres…
August 15, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
jcschwartzprof.bsky.social
Check out this new database of tens of thousands of California police misconduct and use-of-force records. It is an amazing and unparalleled resource - congratulations to all who helped bring it to fruition.
August 4, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
jcschwartzprof.bsky.social
I've been thinking a lot about the role litigation plays in the protection of constitutional rights because of, well, obvious reasons. So I wrote this article. It's critically important-now more than ever-to articulate & appreciate what suing the government can do.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
July 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Really interesting new article hot off the presses in the family law space by @kaipomatsumura.bsky.social — be sure to check it out!
kaipomatsumura.bsky.social Kaipo Matsumura @kaipomatsumura.bsky.social · Jul 29
Stability is a value that underlies and unites the various realms of family law. I question family law's veneration of stability in this article, "The Illusion of Stability in Family Law," that just came out in the Vanderbilt Law Review. Check it out here!: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
July 29, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
aaronlittman.bsky.social
The @law.ucla.edu Behind Bars Data Project is hiring a combined public records analyst and staff writer to help us collect and disseminate data on mortality and morbidity in prisons and jails. This work has become even more pressing of late. Please share and apply! jobs.ucla.edu/jobs/8221
Public Records Analyst/Staff Writer in United States | The Regents of the University of California on behalf of their Los Angeles Campus
UCLA is hiring a Public Records Analyst/Staff Writer in United States. Review all of the job details and apply today!
jobs.ucla.edu
July 25, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
resistlist.bsky.social
Today, Los Angeles received its first honor of three Michelin Stars. The head chef of Somni, which received three, removed his jacket to reveal a t-shirt which read “immigrants feed America.”
July 5, 2025 at 12:44 AM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
This is so deeply shameful.
adamkeiper.com Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · Jun 27
Monstrous:

"They were crying in fear. One of the agents at one point lifted up his shirt, which displayed the gun that he was carrying....The 6-year-old boy was terrified to see the gun. He urinated on himself and wet all his clothing. No one offered him a change of clothing for many hours."
ICE arrested a 6-year-old boy with leukemia at immigration court. His family is suing.
A Honduran mother and her two children — ages 6 and 9 — sued the Trump administration over their arrest at Los Angeles Immigration Court, the first lawsuit challenging the arrests of children under a ...
www.tpr.org
June 27, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
dieworkwear.bsky.social
via Benedicto.Uribe on TikTok
June 14, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
primuseve.bsky.social
Excited to announce that my article on different state approaches to confession law is now published. You can find it in Northwestern Law's Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology here: jclc.law.northwestern.edu/issues/
Issues - Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
jclc.law.northwestern.edu
June 11, 2025 at 8:02 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
This article is terrific—it shows the ways in which the desire to generate revenue through fines & fees can undermine efforts to reduce recidivism and how to use that to push for bipartisan (albeit incomplete) reform.
boltsmag.org Bolts @boltsmag.org · May 25
Chad LaVia was acquitted after spending over a year in jail. But he was still hit with a bill for over $17,000 in “room and board” and other fees — and given just two months to pay it off. boltsmag.org/jail-de...
This Pennsylvania County Wiped Out Millions in Jail Debt
After Dauphin County ended the practice of charging people while they’re detained in jail, Commissioner Justin Douglas pushed it to forgive more than $65 million in lodging fees.
boltsmag.org
May 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Exciting opportunity at UCLA!
May 20, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
datab.ae
a small Texas county found a way to make money off migrants: arrest them for trespassing, make them post bail to get out of jail, turn them over to ICE, collect forfeited bail money. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u...
Over the past four years, the county has refused to return $1.7 million in bail from migrant trespass cases, according to a Times analysis of county budget records obtained through a public records request. The forfeitures are the equivalent of what it would take to pay for the entire sheriff's department for a year, or the county judge and county attorney's office combined for over three years.
May 1, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
billybinion.bsky.social
This is Linda Martin. A few years ago, the FBI seized her life savings: $40,200.

The kicker: She was never charged with a crime—and the government couldn’t tell her why it took her money.

Martin is far from the first. But she is trying to make sure she is the last. A thread.
April 30, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
maggieblackhawk.bsky.social
Tomorrow's SCOTUS arguments address whether the Constitution allows church-run charter schools and whether states can refuse them. The Court may also answer a vital Indian law question:whether it will use the US's treatment of Natives as "history and tradition" to set constitutional rules elsewhere.
April 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
This report from @radleybalko.bsky.social is deeply disturbing and well worth the read: radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-courag...
The courage to be decent
The Trump administration wants to make us too afraid to look out for one another. Don't let them.
radleybalko.substack.com
April 23, 2025 at 3:17 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Really looking forward to this.
joesoss.bsky.social Joe Soss @joesoss.bsky.social · Apr 14
We have a cover! And the book will be available in print from the University of Chicago Press on July 8.
Book cover for Joshua Page and Joe Soss, Legal Plunder: The Predatory Dimensions of Criminal Justice (University of Chicago Press, out in print July 8, 2025).
April 14, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Beth Colgan
kaipomatsumura.bsky.social
Huge thanks to all of the law firms that signed onto a brief defending clients and the legal profession, including a few courageous large law firms like Covington and Arnold & Porter! It's hard not to be disappointed in the many large firms that are not on the list... www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/b...
More Than 500 Law Firms Back Perkins Coie in Fight With Trump
The firms signed a legal brief supporting Perkins Coie, calling the president’s actions a threat “to the rule of law.” The largest firms declined to sign.
www.nytimes.com
April 4, 2025 at 10:55 PM
bethcolgan.bsky.social
Heartened to see so many of my UCLA Law colleagues join with the Harvard Law faculty and many others on this issue that is so critical to American democracy.
blakeprof.bsky.social Blake Emerson @blakeprof.bsky.social · Apr 1
I have signed the following letter with 103 of my colleagues from UCLA Law. It is modeled closely on the Harvard Law letter. Solidarity with all other faculty willing to speak out for the rule of law.
Home
March 31, 2025 As members of the UCLA Law faculty, we are honored to teach and to study the principles of law and constitutional democracy. We are writing to you today in our individual capacities to ...
sites.google.com
April 2, 2025 at 4:47 AM