John Blume
@johnblume.bsky.social
Law Professor at Cornell Law School and Director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project
Reposted by John Blume
On this day in 1898, a mob of as many as 1,000 white people waged a violent campaign to suppress African American voting in Phoenix, South Carolina, that left at least nine Black people dead. No one was ever held accountable.
Nov. 9, 1898 | At Least Nine Black People Killed by Mob Violence in Phoenix, South Carolina
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
November 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On this day in 1898, a mob of as many as 1,000 white people waged a violent campaign to suppress African American voting in Phoenix, South Carolina, that left at least nine Black people dead. No one was ever held accountable.
Reposted by John Blume
Grifter recognize grifter
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says he has commuted sentence of former US Rep. George Santos in federal fraud case.
October 17, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Grifter recognize grifter
Reposted by John Blume
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
Supreme Court granted cert
Supreme Court granted cert
October 12, 2025 at 4:33 PM
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
Supreme Court granted cert
Supreme Court granted cert
Reposted by John Blume
I have no fucking idea what Ilan is even talking about here, or even whether he's tracking the litigation. The issue is whether POTUS complied with a statutory delegation of power under 10 USC 12406, to nationalize the fed guard. His lawyers aren't even arguing commander in chief power.
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October 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I have no fucking idea what Ilan is even talking about here, or even whether he's tracking the litigation. The issue is whether POTUS complied with a statutory delegation of power under 10 USC 12406, to nationalize the fed guard. His lawyers aren't even arguing commander in chief power.
1/
1/
Reposted by John Blume
This whole thread
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
September 26, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This whole thread
Reposted by John Blume
I agree. Even though selective and/or vindictive prosecution claims are notoriously difficult for defendants to prove, the evidence here is about as strong as it gets.
in a sane world, this would be an impeachable offense & articles of impeachment would be drawn up tomorrow.
just as Jimmy Kimmel’s case wasn’t about Jimmy Kimmel - but about state sanctioned censorship - the Jim Comey case isn’t about Jim Comey. It’s about the rule of law versus authoritarianism.
just as Jimmy Kimmel’s case wasn’t about Jimmy Kimmel - but about state sanctioned censorship - the Jim Comey case isn’t about Jim Comey. It’s about the rule of law versus authoritarianism.
September 26, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I agree. Even though selective and/or vindictive prosecution claims are notoriously difficult for defendants to prove, the evidence here is about as strong as it gets.
Reposted by John Blume
not to be One Of Those Types but the sitting president made up a total nonsense story about the Unabomber yesterday—and kind of praised Kaczynski–and it barely made a ripple in the news cycle gizmodo.com/trump-shares...
Trump Shares a Personal Story About the Unabomber That Doesn't Make Any Sense
gizmodo.com
July 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
not to be One Of Those Types but the sitting president made up a total nonsense story about the Unabomber yesterday—and kind of praised Kaczynski–and it barely made a ripple in the news cycle gizmodo.com/trump-shares...
Reposted by John Blume
Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp.
This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.
This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.
Opinion | Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp.
This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.
www.msnbc.com
July 5, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Don’t call it ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Call it a concentration camp.
This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.
This facility’s purpose fits the classic model, and its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.
Reposted by John Blume
Trump and Elon made massive cuts to all US weather tracking and warning systems in the spring of 2025.
Trump on the Texas floods: "It's terrible. The floods? It's shocking. They don't know the answer yet as to how many people, but it looks like some young people have died."
July 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Trump and Elon made massive cuts to all US weather tracking and warning systems in the spring of 2025.
Reposted by John Blume
On this day in 1933, a white mob broke into a jail cell in South Carolina, lynched Norris Dendy, a Black man, and left his body in a churchyard.
Jul. 4, 1933 | White Mob Lynches Norris Dendy and Leaves His Body in a Churchyard
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
July 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
On this day in 1933, a white mob broke into a jail cell in South Carolina, lynched Norris Dendy, a Black man, and left his body in a churchyard.
Reposted by John Blume
there's a culture of fear in the median ranks of media to report and comment on this because journalists believe it would jeopardize their chances of working at the new york times
“The New York Times collaborated with a white nationalist eugenicist hacker and agreed to keep his identity a secret to publish a Zohran Mamdani hit piece” is a way bigger story than “18 year old Zohran Mamdani ticked ‘African American’ on his Columbia application because he was a citizen of Uganda”
July 4, 2025 at 2:22 PM
there's a culture of fear in the median ranks of media to report and comment on this because journalists believe it would jeopardize their chances of working at the new york times
Reposted by John Blume
On this day in 1822, Denmark Vesey, a Black carpenter, was executed in Charleston, South Carolina, for planning to emancipate enslaved people.
Jul. 2, 1822 | Denmark Vesey Executed in South Carolina for Planning to Help Free Enslaved People
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
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July 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
On this day in 1822, Denmark Vesey, a Black carpenter, was executed in Charleston, South Carolina, for planning to emancipate enslaved people.
Reposted by John Blume
Cannot emphasize enough that, if you dislike doing the things academics do (reading, writing, developing and expressing opinions about things you've read) enough to try to make a chatbot do them for you, there are lots of actual humans who would be happy to take that unpleasant job off your hands
Got gossip from a managing editor pal of a journal that a few reviewers used ChatGPT to write their assessments for them, and didn't even conceal it. I'll say it again - it won't be the neoliberal administrators that take down the humanities. It'll be humanities professors who've stopped reading.
July 1, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Cannot emphasize enough that, if you dislike doing the things academics do (reading, writing, developing and expressing opinions about things you've read) enough to try to make a chatbot do them for you, there are lots of actual humans who would be happy to take that unpleasant job off your hands
Reposted by John Blume
I think a critical posture towards the role of judges vis-a-vis law schools is a generational project that needs to happen.
Most of the classes taught by judges are there because the judges enjoy the ego-stroking, and the law school thinks it will help with clerkship placements. Neither of those is a good reason to hire an instructor.
June 21, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I think a critical posture towards the role of judges vis-a-vis law schools is a generational project that needs to happen.
Reposted by John Blume
TACO isn’t just about tariffs, alas www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Trump officials reverse guidance exempting farms, hotels from immigration raids
ICE agents have been told to continue conducting enforcement operations at agricultural businesses despite concerns about effects on the food industry.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 17, 2025 at 12:32 PM
TACO isn’t just about tariffs, alas www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Reposted by John Blume
On this day in 1944, George Stinney Jr., a 90-pound, 14-year-old boy, was executed in the electric chair in Columbia, South Carolina. He remains the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century.
Jun. 16, 1944 | Fourteen-Year-Old George Stinney Executed in South Carolina
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
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June 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
On this day in 1944, George Stinney Jr., a 90-pound, 14-year-old boy, was executed in the electric chair in Columbia, South Carolina. He remains the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century.
Reposted by John Blume
Your torts exam writes itself. I am here to tell you there are elephant cases!
June 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Your torts exam writes itself. I am here to tell you there are elephant cases!
Reposted by John Blume
If the person reading it doesn't immediately get the Arendt reference, it's gonna come across as highly offensive.
And if they do get the Arendt reference, it'll depend on their take on Arendt ...
And if they do get the Arendt reference, it'll depend on their take on Arendt ...
June 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
If the person reading it doesn't immediately get the Arendt reference, it's gonna come across as highly offensive.
And if they do get the Arendt reference, it'll depend on their take on Arendt ...
And if they do get the Arendt reference, it'll depend on their take on Arendt ...
Reposted by John Blume
Reposted by John Blume
On Memorial Day, I remember & honor America's fallen warriors--as well as Humphrey's Executor (which upheld independent agencies), the rule that lower courts can't anticipatorily overrule SCOTUS precedents, and constitutional democracy, all of which the Court undermined last week in the Wilcox case.
SCOTUS Severely Undercuts Humphrey's Executor, Its Own Authority, and Constitutional Democracy
On Thursday of last week, the Supreme Court used a shadow docket case-- Trump v. Wilcox --to effectively overrule Humphrey's Executor v. Uni...
www.dorfonlaw.org
May 26, 2025 at 1:34 PM
On Memorial Day, I remember & honor America's fallen warriors--as well as Humphrey's Executor (which upheld independent agencies), the rule that lower courts can't anticipatorily overrule SCOTUS precedents, and constitutional democracy, all of which the Court undermined last week in the Wilcox case.
Reposted by John Blume
Just utter lawlessness from the Trump Administration, with no goal other than to punish institutions for refusing to bend the knee. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Just utter lawlessness from the Trump Administration, with no goal other than to punish institutions for refusing to bend the knee. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Reposted by John Blume
Today’s bonus issue of “One First” takes a closer look at Judge Ho’s galling concurring opinion on remand in the A.A.R.P. Alien Enemies Act case—which accused #SCOTUS of showing “disrespect” to the district judge and President Trump by … protecting due process:
www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-152-...
www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-152-...
Bonus 152: Judge Ho, Due Process, and "Disrespect"
Some thoughts on Judge Ho's rather galling claim that the Supreme Court "disrespect[ed]" the district court and the President in Friday's ruling in the "A.A.R.P. II" Alien Enemies Act case.
www.stevevladeck.com
May 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Today’s bonus issue of “One First” takes a closer look at Judge Ho’s galling concurring opinion on remand in the A.A.R.P. Alien Enemies Act case—which accused #SCOTUS of showing “disrespect” to the district judge and President Trump by … protecting due process:
www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-152-...
www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-152-...
Reposted by John Blume
On this day in 1740, South Carolina barred enslaved Black people from learning to read, earning money, and gathering, and authorized white enslavers to whip and kill them for being "rebellious."
May 10, 1740 | South Carolina Passes Negro Act of 1740, Codifying White Supremacy
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
May 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
On this day in 1740, South Carolina barred enslaved Black people from learning to read, earning money, and gathering, and authorized white enslavers to whip and kill them for being "rebellious."