Judge’s ruling protects due process rights of Californians caught in federal registration trap
On April 9, a federal judge issued a permanent injunction blocking the Department of Justice from prosecuting California residents under a federal sex-offender registration law without first confirming with the state that those individuals are required to register in the first place. PLF represents a group of plaintiffs who are caught in a bind ...
The state wants to track lobstermen’s every move. One is asking the Supreme Court to end it.
Everyone in Vinalhaven knows two things: the weather and the price of a lobster — $6. Ten miles off the coast of Maine, this rugged outcropping of fewer than 1,300 people is one of the cradles of the New England lobster industry. Dark evergreens cling to the hillsides above its blue coves; granite cliffs take the full force of the North Atlant ...
A Hawaii dolphin therapist’s case could shape the Comey and James appeal
Six months ago, James Comey and Letitia James had likely never heard of PLF client Eliza Wille or her dolphin therapy practice in Kona, Hawaii. Now, as the government fights to revive their indictments before the Fourth Circuit, their fates are closely tied to the psychotherapist's legal battle to save her business. Pacific Legal Foundation file ...
Federal court hands Florida property owner a major win in fight to protect his beach
For two decades, Leslie Daniels has owned a beachfront home in Palm Beach, Florida. His property includes a sandy beach parcel—land he holds title to, pays taxes on, and uses for family gatherings. For most of that time, the Town of Palm Beach agreed the beach was his. Town maps labeled it private. Police enforced trespassing laws on it. Official ...
A breakthrough for natural resource access and congressional oversight
Editor's note: On January 21, 2026 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the Public Land Order blocking access to the Duluth Complex. The resolution now moves to the Senate. For the first time in history, a Public Land Order is being submitted to Congress for review. That ...
Rhode Island court protects homeowner from unconstitutional permit demands
A coastal Rhode Island property owner secured a major victory last month when a judge entered final orders granting a preliminary injunction preventing the State's Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) from attaching unconstitutional conditions to a permit request. PLF client David Welch has been tangling with the CRMC for years. In 2023, ...
Victory after two decades : Florida Supreme Court upholds victory for Shands family
After 20 long years of legal battles, the Shands family has won their fight for justice. Last week, the Florida Supreme Court declined to review a lower court decision that vindicated the property rights of Rodney Shands and his siblings, paving the way for the family to finally make use of the island that bears their family name. In 1956, Dr. R ...
California’s new law ends discrimination against craft distillery
When Théron Regnier launched The Obscure Distillery in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic, he built something special. The craft distillery now attracts over 30,000 visitors annually, including many New Yorkers who appreciate the distillery's unique connection to their state. But he soon found he was unable to ship to New York because of the ...
Court rejects government attempt to toss Colosi’s challenge to exactions scheme
A federal judge ruled yesterday that Michael Colosi's lawsuit against Charlotte County, Florida, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will proceed, rejecting efforts by both the county and the federal government to have the case dismissed. The decision, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, keeps alive Colosi ...