California Proposition 50, as described in the measure, would establish temporary congressional maps to be used for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 U.S. House elections and would have those maps replaced after the 2030 U.S. Census when the California Citizens Redistricting Commission draws new congressional maps.
January 01, 2026
high
temporal
Provisional duration and replacement mechanism for maps under California Proposition 50
Electronic monitoring devices such as ankle monitors and GPS monitors are commonly used as conditions of supervised release or conditional release in criminal justice systems.
November 24, 2025
high
descriptive
Corrections and courts may require electronic monitoring as part of release conditions or supervision.
Courts can order commitment of defendants to psychiatric hospitals as part of criminal dispositions when mental illness and related considerations are involved.
November 24, 2025
high
descriptive
Sentencing or disposition in cases involving claims of mental illness can include civil or forensic psychiatric commitment.
France criminalizes contesting the reality or the genocidal nature of Nazi crimes, and Holocaust denial can be prosecuted as a crime alongside other forms of incitement to racial hatred.
November 21, 2025
high
legal
Overview of French criminal law regarding Holocaust denial and related hate speech.
A conviction on a federal production of child pornography charge can carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
November 21, 2025
medium
temporal
Reported statutory maximum penalty associated with a federal production of child pornography charge.
A conviction on a federal conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country charge can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
November 21, 2025
medium
temporal
Reported statutory maximum penalty associated with a federal conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country charge.
Individuals are not required to carry out orders that violate the law or the U.S. Constitution.
November 20, 2025
high
legal
General legal and ethical principle regarding obedience to orders cited in discussions about military and civilian responsibilities.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act (2025) requires the U.S. Attorney General to release all unclassified records, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days.
November 19, 2025
high
temporal
Statutory requirement governing disclosure of investigative materials involving Epstein and Maxwell.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act (2025) allows withholding or redaction of files that contain victims' names, child sexual abuse material, classified content, or information that could affect active investigations.
November 19, 2025
high
temporal
Statutory categories of information that may be exempted from public disclosure under the law.
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure generally protect the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, and Congress can enact statutes that explicitly authorize disclosure of grand jury materials and thereby supersede court-imposed secrecy or prior court rulings.
November 19, 2025
high
legal
General legal principle about grand jury secrecy and the effect of subsequent statutes.
In California, a conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years to life (as of 2025).
November 17, 2025
high
legal
General sentencing information for first-degree murder in California.
In California, a conviction for personally discharging a firearm that results in death carries a sentence of 25 years to life (as of 2025).
November 17, 2025
high
legal
Sentencing for firearm-related homicide enhancements in California.
Courts can reject congressional district maps if a map unduly favors one political party and can adopt remedial maps proposed by plaintiffs in redistricting lawsuits.
November 13, 2025
high
temporal
Describes judicial powers and remedies available in redistricting litigation.
Civic organizations, including groups such as the League of Women Voters, can serve as plaintiffs in legal challenges to congressional redistricting maps.
November 13, 2025
high
temporal
Explains roles civic groups may play in litigation over redistricting.
A legislative provision can grant any U.S. Senator whose Senate data or the Senate data of their Senate office was acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed, or disclosed in violation of the provision the right to bring a civil action against the United States and, for each violation, recover at least $500,000 plus attorney fees, litigation costs, and any additional relief the court grants.
November 12, 2025
high
legal
Describes a statutory remedy that creates a private right of action and specified minimum statutory damages for violations involving access or disclosure of legislative office data.
U.S. federal criminal charges used in terrorism prosecutions can include transferring firearms and ammunition while knowing they will be used to commit or support terrorism, and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization such as ISIS.
November 10, 2025
high
legal
Types of federal charges commonly brought in terrorism-related cases.
When lawmakers or congressional members do not have subpoena power, letters requesting information function as voluntary requests and recipients are not legally obligated to comply with those requests.
November 07, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the legal effect of oversight letters issued without subpoena authority.
Nonprofit organizations that manage private donations commonly assert that donor names and identifying information are protected from public disclosure under federal nonprofit laws and can be withheld to protect donor privacy.
November 07, 2025
high
temporal
Explains a routinely cited basis for nonprofits declining to release donor information.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has authority to detain imported goods suspected to be produced with forced labor as part of enforcing U.S. import restrictions.
November 07, 2025
high
temporal
Customs enforcement mechanism used to block imports suspected of forced labor.
The public charge ground of inadmissibility has been part of U.S. immigration law for more than 100 years.
November 06, 2025
high
temporal
Historical duration of the 'public charge' inadmissibility ground.
U.S. federal district courts can be convened as three-judge panels to hear certain constitutional challenges to redistricting and other matters.
November 05, 2025
high
legal
Statutory and procedural mechanism for adjudicating some high-stakes constitutional claims, including redistricting disputes.
Out-of-court settlements in civil litigation can be reached at any point during the litigation process, including after jury selection and after lawyers have begun presenting evidence.
November 04, 2025
high
legal
General principle about the timing of settlements in civil cases.
Mediation is a commonly used method to attempt pre-trial settlement in civil wrongful-death cases, and unsuccessful mediation can result in cases proceeding to trial.
November 04, 2025
high
legal
Role of mediation in attempting to resolve civil claims before trial.
Details of monetary settlements in wrongful-death and other civil lawsuits are often not publicly disclosed.
November 04, 2025
high
legal
Confidentiality and nondisclosure are common features of settlement agreements.
Virginia governors are limited to a single four-year term.
November 04, 2025
high
temporal
State constitutional term limit for the office of governor in Virginia.
In Miami mayoral elections, if no candidate receives 50% or more of the votes in the initial election, the top two candidates advance to a runoff election.
November 04, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the municipal runoff rule used to determine the winner when no candidate achieves a majority.
An extreme risk protection order law (commonly called a 'red flag' law) prohibits the purchase, possession, or control of a dangerous weapon if a person is suspected of posing a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or another person.
November 04, 2025
high
policy
General definition of the core restriction imposed by red flag (extreme risk protection order) laws as described in the Maine ballot context.
Maine's 'yellow flag' law requires law enforcement to take a person believed to be a danger to themselves or others into protective custody and to have the person undergo a mental health evaluation before a judge can order the temporary removal of their firearms.
November 04, 2025
high
law
Description of the procedural steps and purpose of Maine's yellow flag law related to temporary firearm removal.
Ohio's state constitution required the Ohio Redistricting Commission to adopt new congressional districts because the prior districts had been adopted after the 2020 census without bipartisan support.
October 31, 2025
high
legal
Describes a constitutional trigger for redistricting in Ohio tied to how prior maps were adopted after the 2020 census.
Ohio law permits opponents of a legislative redistricting bill to mount an initiative petition campaign seeking to force a public referendum on a newly passed congressional map.
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Describes a procedural option available under Ohio law for challenging legislative redistricting through ballot initiatives and referendums.
U.S. federal copyright law can, in some cases, prevent the release of copyrighted writings and other authored materials under state public records laws.
October 30, 2025
high
legal
Courts have interpreted federal copyright protections as a potential basis to withhold authored materials from disclosure under state public records statutes.
Courts may consider potential trauma to victims' families and the risk of inspiring copycat attacks as factors when deciding whether investigative records should be disclosed.
October 30, 2025
high
procedural
Judicial decisions about disclosure of sensitive investigative materials can weigh harms such as psychological trauma to victims' families and public safety risks.
Under United States law, visa records are generally considered confidential.
October 29, 2025
high
temporal
General description of U.S. legal treatment of visa records.
Voting is compulsory for eligible voters in Argentina.
October 27, 2025
high
legal
Argentine electoral law includes compulsory voting requirements.
Under North Carolina state law, the governor does not have authority to veto legislative redistricting maps.
October 22, 2025
high
legal
Statutory limitation on the governor's veto power specific to legislative redistricting in North Carolina.
Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code requires county election officials to verify each voter's eligibility and to remove from the voter rolls any individuals confirmed to be noncitizens.
October 21, 2025
high
temporal
Statutory process for maintaining voter registration accuracy in Texas
In Texas, individuals confirmed as noncitizens who are found to have voted may be referred to the Texas Attorney General's Office for further review and potential prosecution.
October 21, 2025
high
temporal
Legal referral and enforcement pathway for alleged illegal voting in Texas
Criminal statutes and prosecutions can include drug-facilitated sexual-assault offenses that charge forcible rape, sodomy, or sexual penetration when the perpetrator uses controlled substances or anesthesia to incapacitate a victim.
October 16, 2025
high
legal
Describes categories of offenses commonly charged in cases where drugs or anesthesia are used to incapacitate sexual-assault victims.
The U.S. Mineral Leasing Act requires companies to pay fair market value for coal mined on public lands.
October 16, 2025
high
legal
Federal mineral leasing framework for extractive resources on U.S. public lands.
The North Carolina state constitution prohibits the governor from vetoing redistricting plans.
October 16, 2025
high
temporal
State constitutional limitation on the governor's veto power with respect to redistricting in North Carolina.
State legislatures can carry out midādecade redistricting to redraw U.S. House district boundaries and seek partisan electoral advantage.
October 16, 2025
high
temporal
Description of midādecade redistricting as a tool used by state legislatures to influence electoral outcomes.
Conversion devices that turn semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic firearms, such as 'Glock switches', are illegal (they have been characterized in reporting as already illegal).
October 13, 2025
medium
legal
Legal status of conversion devices that enable fully automatic fire.
U.S. campaign finance law prohibits political campaigns from accepting contributions from foreign nationals; contributions are permitted only from U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
October 13, 2025
high
legal
General rule governing who may legally contribute to political campaigns in the United States.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees due process and equal protection under the law.
October 10, 2025
high
constitutional
Fundamental constitutional protections that have been the basis for numerous legal challenges and rulings.
The National Governors Association is characterized as an educational organization under U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code.
October 09, 2025
high
descriptive
Tax classification characterization reported about the NGA.
As of 2025, nearly half of U.S. states had enacted bans on therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity (commonly called conversion therapy).
October 06, 2025
high
statistical
Describes the nationwide legislative status of conversion-therapy bans.
Pointing lasers at aircraft endangers both pilots and people on the ground and is prohibited under state and federal law.
October 06, 2025
high
temporal
Legal and safety principle regarding the hazards and legal prohibition of directing lasers at aircraft.
Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal crime according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
October 06, 2025
high
temporal
Federal criminal prohibition as noted by the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. federal law establishes statutory conditions that must be met before the military can be used for domestic operations, including conditions related to whether regular law enforcement forces are able to enforce the law.
October 01, 2025
high
legal
Describes the legal framework governing domestic use of military forces in the United States.
State and local governments can challenge federal domestic military deployments in court on grounds such deployments violate state sovereignty or fail to satisfy statutory legal thresholds.
October 01, 2025
high
legal
Explains common legal basis for litigation by subnational governments against federal troop deployments.
A U.S. Court of Appeals has the procedural authority to vacate a panel decision and order an en banc rehearing, in which a larger group of judges rehears the case.
October 01, 2025
high
judicial
Describes appellate court procedure for rehearing cases before a larger panel.
Under Texas law, a hate crime conviction is treated as a sentencing enhancement rather than as a separate criminal charge.
June 03, 2025
high
legal
Statutory treatment of hate crimes in Texas criminal sentencing.
In 2025, German officials indicated that making military service compulsory would require passing a new law.
June 01, 2025
high
procedural
Legal requirement for changing voluntary service to compulsory conscription.
The Virginia Attorney General is the state's chief legal officer responsible for overseeing state-level prosecutions and police oversight.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the general responsibilities of the Virginia Attorney General's office.
Washington State's routine recount rules: a machine recount is automatic if the vote margin between the top two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for those candidates, and a manual recount is required for statewide contests if the margin is less than 1,000 votes and less than 0.25%.
January 01, 2025
high
procedural
These are the statutory thresholds that trigger automatic machine recounts and required manual recounts in Washington elections.
The United States Congress can pass legislation that would require the Department of Justice to release files related to a federal investigation.
January 01, 2025
high
procedural
Legislative authority and oversight powers used to seek access to executive-branch investigatory records.
U.S. federal appeals courts have the authority to rule that a federal agency's regulation or administrative restriction cannot be enforced.
November 17, 2024
high
legal_process
Federal appellate courts review challenges to agency rulemaking and can block enforcement through rulings or injunctions.
South Africa's Expropriation Act of 2024 authorizes the government to expropriate land for public use and permits in some cases expropriation without compensation; the South African government characterizes the policy as aimed at addressing racial inequities in ownership.
January 01, 2024
high
legal
Summary of legal provisions and government rationale associated with the 2024 expropriation law.
Uganda's Parliament passed a version of anti-homosexuality legislation in 2023 that criminalizes same-sex relations and imposes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality."
January 01, 2023
high
legal
Description of the substantive provisions included in the 2023 version of Uganda's anti-homosexuality legislation.
The Supreme Court in Allen v. Milligan (2021) used 'disabled' terminology in the context of discussing remedies related to vote dilution and race-based redistricting.
January 01, 2021
high
legal precedent
Notes a Supreme Court usage of disability-related language in a case addressing race-based redistricting.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is a 2021 U.S. law that prohibits importing goods into the United States if they were made with forced labor.
January 01, 2021
high
temporal
U.S. federal law addressing forced labor in import supply chains.
In 2020, President Donald Trump issued executive orders titled 'Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful' and 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History' directing federal agencies to safeguard and restore historic monuments damaged during 2020 protests and to protect American monuments and preserve American history.
January 01, 2020
high
policy
Descriptions of the content and intent of the 2020 executive orders referenced.
Mississippi law enacted in 2020 permits mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received up to five days after the election.
January 01, 2020
high
legal
State election law specifying a short post-Election Day receipt window for ballots that were postmarked by Election Day.
In Rucho v. Common Cause (U.S. Supreme Court, 2019), the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts cannot adjudicate claims of partisan gerrymandering.
June 27, 2019
high
legal
Judicial precedent limiting federal-court review of partisan-map challenges.
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA) is a federal law enacted in 2019 that addresses pay and benefits for federal employees affected by government shutdowns.
January 01, 2019
high
temporal
GEFTA was enacted in response to a previous government shutdown to clarify treatment of federal employees during funding lapses.
The statutory phrase 'subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse' can be interpreted to mean that payment of backpay to furloughed federal employees is contingent on Congress enacting appropriations that end a funding lapse.
January 01, 2019
high
legal
That statutory phrasing creates a legal question about whether backpay is automatic or requires subsequent congressional appropriations.
The Washington State Legislature created the WA Cares Fund in 2019 to help participants defray the costs of certain long-term care services.
January 01, 2019
high
temporal
WA Cares Fund is a state-run program intended to assist with long-term care expenses.
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) is a 2016 U.S. law that created a federal cause of action allowing civil lawsuits against foreign states for injuries resulting from certain acts of international terrorism.
January 01, 2016
high
temporal
U.S. federal statute enacted in 2016 addressing civil liability for state-sponsored terrorism.
Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2014 prohibited any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex.
January 01, 2014
high
legal
Description of the content of the 2014 Ugandan legislation commonly referred to as the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Texas enacted a 'junk science' law in 2013 that allows defendants to bring legal challenges when forensic evidence that contributed to a conviction has subsequently been discredited.
January 01, 2013
high
legal
State-level statute enabling post-conviction challenges based on discredited forensic science.
An Iraqi tribunal found Saddam Hussein guilty of willful killing, illegal imprisonment, deportation and torture after the 2003 overthrow of his government.
January 01, 2006
high
temporal
Legal outcomes following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the period of daylight saving time in the United States by moving its start to the second Sunday in March and its end to the first Sunday in November, adding about four weeks to the DST season.
January 01, 2005
high
legal/policy
Federal legislation adjusted the annual daylight saving time schedule.
Executive Order 13224, signed on 2001-09-23, targets terrorists and persons or entities providing support to terrorism and is used as a basis for sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
September 23, 2001
high
legal
Executive Order authorizing sanctions against terrorists and supporters, frequently invoked by Treasury for financial sanctions.
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is U.S. federal legislation that established mechanisms to promote religious freedom internationally, including processes for identifying "countries of particular concern."
October 27, 1998
high
temporal
Statutory framework used by U.S. institutions to assess and respond to religious freedom conditions abroad.
The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act authorizes the U.S. executive branch to designate 'countries of particular concern' with respect to religious freedom.
January 01, 1998
high
legal
Legal basis for U.S. designations related to international religious freedom.
A 'country of particular concern' designation under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act authorizes U.S. penalties but does not automatically impose sanctions; potential penalties can include bans on non-humanitarian aid.
January 01, 1998
high
legal
Scope and consequences of a 'country of particular concern' designation under U.S. law.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which came into effect in 1997, includes protections for the human rights of all citizens.
February 04, 1997
high
legal
General legal fact about South Africa's post-apartheid constitutional framework.
The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 to authorize federal forces during the Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of officers in the Rodney King case.
April 29, 1992
high
temporal
Historical precedent for use of the Insurrection Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that facilities be made equally open to people with disabilities when readily possible to remedy discriminatory barriers to access.
July 26, 1990
high
legal
Describes the ADA's remedial requirement to make facilities accessible to people with disabilities.
The U.S. Congress created the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program in 1990 to prevent deportations of people to countries experiencing natural disasters, civil strife, or other dangerous conditions.
January 01, 1990
high
temporal
Origin and purpose of the TPS immigration program.
The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act states that the United States is not legally required to militarily defend Taiwan if the People's Republic of China invades, but establishes U.S. policy to help Taiwan obtain the resources to defend itself and to oppose any unilateral change to Taiwan's status by Beijing.
April 10, 1979
high
legal
U.S. statutory framework governing unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs conducted by the federal government.
September 26, 1973
high
legal
Federal anti-discrimination statute governing programs run by the federal government.
Florida's Government in the Sunshine law requires meetings of public boards to be open to the public and for boards to provide adequate notice of their meetings.
January 01, 1967
high
legal
State-level openāmeetings requirement in Florida
Since 1966, Washington voters have considered at least 10 proposed constitutional amendments to exempt certain funds from the state constitutional ban on investing public funds in private stocks and equities, and five of those measures passed (most recently in 2007).
January 01, 1966
high
temporal
Washington's constitution generally bans investing public funds in private equities, but voters have repeatedly considered and sometimes approved targeted exemptions.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act provides a mechanism for addressing current-day manifestations of past and present decisions that disadvantaged racial or ethnic minorities in access to the voting system.
August 06, 1965
high
legal
Summarizes the remedial purpose of Section 2 in addressing discriminatory effects on minority voters.
Federal election monitors have observed polling places in the United States since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
August 06, 1965
high
temporal
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 established federal protections against discriminatory voting practices and enabled federal oversight of elections.
Racial gerrymandering, which involves drawing electoral district lines to intentionally target or dilute the voting power of racial minority groups, violates the federal Voting Rights Act.
August 06, 1965
high
legal
Legal principle governing redistricting and minority voting rights under U.S. federal law.
The Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits employees of the executive branch from engaging in partisan political activity while performing their official duties.
January 01, 1939
high
legal
Federal statute governing partisan political activity by federal executive branch employees.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a federal holiday in 1934.
January 01, 1934
high
temporal
Establishment of Columbus Day as a federal holiday in U.S. law.
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
February 03, 1870
high
legal
Constitutional protection against racial discrimination in voting
The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits denying the right to vote on the basis of race and grants Congress the power to enforce that prohibition, and the amendment itself does not include a time limit on Congress's enforcement authority.
February 03, 1870
high
temporal
Constitutional basis for congressional enforcement of voting rights protections against racial discrimination.
The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits state actors, including public schools and universities, from denying any person the equal protection of the laws on the basis of race.
July 09, 1868
high
legal
Constitutional protection limiting discriminatory actions by government entities and public institutions.
Albert Pike served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War and also served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.
April 12, 1861
high
biographical
Biographical roles held by Albert Pike.
Article I of the U.S. Constitution establishes that the U.S. Congress has the authority to manage the federal budget and holds the 'power of the purse.'
September 17, 1787
high
legal
Constitutional allocation of budgetary authority.
Title 18 of the United States Code, Sections 111(a) and 111(b), make it a federal crime to forcibly assault, resist, or impede a federal officer while that officer is performing official duties.
high
legal
Federal criminal statute defining offenses against federal officers.
The federal government has the authority to federalize state National Guard members and deploy them for federal missions.
high
legal
General U.S. federal-state military authority allowing National Guard activation for federal service.
A U.S. federal district court can issue a temporary restraining order to enjoin or block federal actions, including the deployment of National Guard troops.
high
legal
Federal courts have injunction authority to temporarily halt federal executive actions pending further proceedings.
Proposition 50 is a California ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would authorize California state lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional districts.
high
policy
Description of the policy action Proposition 50 would enable regarding congressional redistricting in California.
The federal teen pregnancy prevention grant program is subject to a statutory emphasis on evidence-based programming.
high
descriptive
Describes a legal/programmatic requirement guiding grant-funded interventions.
U.S. federal statutes addressing bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions are used to prosecute alleged misrepresentations in mortgage loan applications.
high
legal
Legal basis for criminal charges related to alleged mortgage misrepresentations.
Jared Kushner was a driver of bipartisan criminal-justice legislation during the Trump administration.
high
policy
Describes Kushner's involvement in criminal-justice policy efforts while working in the Trump White House.
Under federal law (18 U.S.C. Ā§ 922(g)(5)), it is a felony for an alien who is unlawfully or illegally present in the United States to possess a firearm.
high
legal
Federal firearms prohibition applicable to aliens unlawfully present in the U.S.
Under U.S. federal law, transmitting a communication in interstate or foreign commerce that contains a threat can carry a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
high
legal
Criminal penalty associated with transmitting threats across interstate or foreign commerce
Presidential nominees to lead independent federal agencies typically require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
high
procedural
Explains the general confirmation process for nominees to executive branch independent agencies.
U.S. military organizations are generally permitted to accept private donations to support institutions such as military schools, libraries, and museums, or to assist service members or civilian employees who are wounded or killed in the line of duty, and changing those acceptance restrictions would require congressional action.
high
policy
Legal limits and permissible uses for private donations to military entities.
Under U.S. federal law, deliberately communicating threats of violence across state lines can constitute a federal offense.
high
legal
Interstate transmission of threats or solicitations of violence can fall under federal criminal statutes addressing interstate communications.
Publicly posting offers of reward for killing or otherwise soliciting violence on social media can prompt criminal investigations and potential charges.
high
criminal
Expressions on online platforms that solicit or threaten violence may be investigated and prosecuted under applicable state or federal laws.
The Insurrection Act is a federal statute that authorizes the use of federal military forces in a law enforcement capacity to suppress rebellion or quell domestic violence.
high
legal
Describes the statutory authority that can permit military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
The Posse Comitatus Act restricts the U.S. military from carrying out domestic law enforcement actions, although there are statutory exceptions and other legal authorities that can permit military involvement.
high
legal
Describes the general statutory limitation on using active-duty military for domestic policing.
When National Guard personnel are operating under Title 32 of federal law, they are under state control and are not subject to the Posse Comitatus Act's restrictions on federal military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
high
legal
Explains the legal status of National Guard forces when federal funds authorize state control under Title 32.
Justice Department election monitors are typically staff in the Department of Justiceās Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys' offices, and are generally experienced DOJ attorneys rather than law enforcement officers.
high
descriptive
These monitors are deployed to observe election processes and compliance with federal voting laws.
Justice Department election monitors do not have access to ballots or voting machines and primarily observe and take notes to document potential federal law violations.
high
descriptive
Monitors document observations so the Justice Department can assess whether to pursue further legal action; they do not perform enforcement actions at polling sites.
Federal election monitors typically remain outside polling places but may enter polling locations if ordered by a court or invited by election officials.
high
descriptive
Normal practice is for monitors to observe externally unless there is a legal order or permission from local election authorities to go inside.
10 U.S.C. Ā§ 12406 is a federal statute that authorizes the federalization and deployment of National Guard members.
high
legal
Statutory basis in U.S. law for converting state National Guard status to federal status for deployment.
Subsections 10 U.S.C. Ā§ 12406(2) and 10 U.S.C. Ā§ 12406(3) are specific statutory provisions that can be invoked as bases to federalize and deploy National Guard members.
high
legal
Specific subsections within the statutory federalization authority for the National Guard.
Some U.S. states use independent citizen commissions to draw congressional district maps, while other U.S. states assign map-drawing authority to their state legislatures.
high
structural
Describes the two common institutional approaches to drawing U.S. congressional district boundaries.
Redistricting plans can be subject to legal challenges and referendum petitions that may suspend or delay implementation of new maps pending court rulings or voter approval in statewide referendums.
high
legal
Describes common legal and political mechanisms that can affect when and whether new district maps take effect.
Federal law (28 U.S.C. Ā§2284) provides for convening a three-judge district court to hear certain cases that challenge the apportionment of congressional districts or seek statewide relief.
high
legal
Procedural mechanism used in federal litigation over congressional district maps and statewide injunctive relief.
Lex specialis is a Latin term used to refer to a special law tailored to a specific case.
high
definition
Legal term describing legislation designed for a particular situation or case.
The Caesar Act is a U.S. sanctions law that imposes penalties on Syria in response to allegations of widespread human rights abuses by the Assad government and security forces.
high
descriptive
U.S. statutory sanctions targeting Syria for alleged human rights violations.
A permanent repeal of sanctions established by U.S. legislation requires an act of the U.S. Congress.
high
institutional
Legislative requirement for repealing federally enacted sanctions.
Homicide charges can be classified as capital offenses under Montana law, while prosecutorial discretion may result in the decision not to seek the death penalty.
high
legal
State statutes define capital offenses and prosecutors have discretion whether to pursue capital punishment in individual cases.
In criminal cases, prosecutors must have sufficient admissible evidence to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt before filing charges or seeking a conviction.
high
legal
General principle governing criminal prosecutions and charging decisions.
Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the U.S. Secretary of State to designate foreign entities engaged in terrorist activity.
high
legal
Statutory authority used to designate organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs).
The Epstein Files Transparency Act directs the Department of Justice to publish the released records online in a searchable format.
high
legal
Requires the DOJ to make released materials publicly accessible and searchable.
U.S. federal law provides that when a former vice president dies, the U.S. flag is to be flown at half-staff from the day of death until the day of interment.
high
legal
Statutory protocol for lowering the U.S. flag upon the death of a principal government figure such as a former vice president.
Acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government is a type of federal criminal charge that U.S. prosecutors can bring.
high
legal
Describes a prosecutable offense category under U.S. federal law
The Speedy Trial Act establishes statutory time limits that apply to the timing of federal criminal trials in the United States.
high
legal
Describes a statutory constraint on how long federal criminal proceedings may be delayed before trial.
France has one of Europe's strictest laws criminalizing Holocaust denial; contesting the reality or genocidal nature of Nazi crimes is prosecutable under French law, and incitement to racial hatred is also a criminal offense in France.
high
legal
Describes the criminalization of Holocaust denial and related hate speech under French law.
French law includes a provision that requires public officials to report or flag suspected criminal offenses to prosecutors.
high
legal
Obligatory reporting duty imposed on public officials for possible crimes.
France maintains a national police platform to receive reports of illegal online content.
high
administrative
A centralized mechanism for referring potentially illegal material found online to law enforcement.