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America Descends Into Hell One Federal Ruling at a Time

All eyes are on the Supreme Court right now, but what’s going on at the appellate level is also terrifying.

6 min readSep 6, 2021

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(Justin Ward / CanvaPro)

Ever since the Supreme Court functionally overturned Roe vs. Wade last week, national attention has been laser-focused on the ruling’s dire consequences for women’s health. Meanwhile, other horrifying decisions are being handed down one level lower on the judicial hierarchy. These may not have the same far-reaching implications — but they’re pretty goddamn bleak.

While circuit courts may not get as much press as the Supreme Court, they play a significant role in establishing legal precedent under the principle of stare decisis. Their decisions also have binding authority over all the lower federal courts in their jurisdiction.

In the past week, appellate courts issued some rulings related to policing that nudge federal case law in a disturbing direction.

County Not Liable for Police Inaction That Led to Murder-Suicide

Excerpt from Rosemarie Reilly’s petition for a protective order (Grand Rapids Police Department / Public domain)

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Justin Ward
Justin Ward

Written by Justin Ward

Journalist and legal writer specializing in policing, criminal law, and civil litigation. Bylines at SPLC, The Baffler, GEN, USA Today, and HB Litigation.

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