Raffi Melkonian

What a weird constitution that would be - we’re leaving the king because of his illegal taxes and we’re designing this whole system to keep the president from imposing taxes alone - but also maybe he can just tax everyone randomly because of his insane whims.

It was the Ground Round when I was a kid. Popcorn appetizer ftw

Not that long ago, three major lower-court rulings against the executive branch on three unrelated topics would’ve been a busy *month,* and outlets would’ve rushed to write up such a run of adverse rulings. Now, it doesn’t feel unusual when we get three on the same *day.* It’s all … exhausting.

I didn’t think Judge Bumatay would go for Trump’s argument here, but there we go.

Breaking: Ninth Circuit on 2-1 Vote Rejects DOJ’s Attempt to Get an Injunction Pending Appeal for California to Segregate Ballots electionlawblog.org/2026/breakin...

Old school.

Okay, I complain plenty about the NY court system when warranted, so, I do want to say, I just saw the, from this weekend I think, update to the public “WebCivil” portal (the system the public uses to access court records), and it genuinely looks GREAT.

As a pretty standard-issue American textualist, it's always good to read someone who not only takes the other side of the argument, but argues from a position of dominance on his own side (i.e., he starts with the premise that the textualists are the weird ones)

Update! Bishop apologizes for allowing himself to be tricked. ⤵️ www.archmil.org/posts/a-publ... The WH duped Catholic clergy into what they were told would be high level meetings & private prayer, took secret video, & released it w/o permission! heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/october-25... ⤵️

My summary of the just completed oral argument in the 9th Circuit's emergency hearing on the California ballot segregation demand from DOJ:

They could just give each official two flags so they don’t have to throw their hats.

I was bracing myself for a lot of “the populist right is on the march” this week after Brazil but I guess we can cancel all that.

Ninth Circuit's Bennet, to DOJ: How do we have jurisdiction here, given that the district court hasn't ruled yet on the timeline you asked for? Bennet: How did this filing happen, by accident? (Oof.)

Time for this weekend’s ‘elephant done by a medieval artist that had never seen one’ - 10th century, Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.644, f. 79r

Just spent a couple of minutes trying to locate a gentle mooing noise in the house - to increasing confusion - and finally found an iPad with Minecraft on.

I'm sad to report the passing of the Honorable Michael Melloy, formerly of the 8th Circuit. One of his former clerks described him as the "nicest person in the world." My clerkship with him was incredibly rewarding. He took the law very seriously and made me realize it wasn't all legal realism.

In no circumstance was the dough boy a laminated dough of any kind, I reject this as non-canon.

I’m not saying I’m a Bad Boy Appellate Lawyer, but sometimes I’ll cite an unpublished case without the “(not designated for publication)” at the end.

BREAKING: Fifth Circuit, on a 10-7 vote, says no bond hearing for detained immigrants pending removal proceedings, no matter how long they're detained — reversing panel decision and district courts. www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub...

Wow that is the work of a king baby