WJI's Daily Reads for Sept. 1, 2022

NBC: Federal judge says federal law allows assistance for disabled voters in returning absentee ballots, notwithstanding Wisconsin Supreme Court decision banning such assistance under state law.

“Voters shouldn’t have to choose between exercising their federal rights and complying with state law,” (U.S. District Judge James D.) Peterson wrote in the final ruling in a lawsuit filed by four people in Wisconsin with disabilities.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Group files ethics complaints against attorneys involved in Wisconsin litigation to overturn the 2020 election results.

The 65 Project filed the complaints Wednesday with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation against Michael D. Dean of Brookfield and Daniel J. Eastman of Mequon.

The group, named after the number of lawsuits filed by supporters of former President Donald Trump in the wake of his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden, also filed complaints about lawyers licensed in five other states, several of whom helped file cases in Wisconsin.

Slate: Has Donald Trump run out of arguments regarding his possession of classified documents?

The old law school aphorism holds that “if the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell.”

With Tuesday night’s Justice Department filing in response to the search of Mar-a-Lago for classified stolen documents, it’s safe to assume we are quickly achieving peak table pounding.

Politico: Hurdles remain for prosecuting Donald Trump regarding his possession of classified documents.

Of course, one unknown ultimately looms large over all the other machinations: Does Garland view Trump’s cavalier and even defiant approach to the national security secrets at Mar-a-Lago as something of sufficient magnitude to bring the first criminal case against a former president in U.S. history?

Politico: Michigan board blocks ballot measure on abortion rights.

Governing (ProPublica): How the ghost-gun industry gets around ghost-gun laws.

The vast majority of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement nationwide are built from parts made by Polymer80, which has managed to evade laws forbidding the manufacture of unserialized gun parts.

Reuters: Conservative think tank sues Starbucks over its efforts to promote diversity.

In a complaint filed on Tuesday, the National Center for Public Policy Research objected to Starbucks' setting hiring goals for Blacks and other people of color, awarding contracts to "diverse" suppliers and advertisers, and tying executive pay to diversity.

Reuters: Former coaches oppose arbitration in their racial discrimination case against the National Football league.

According to a brief submitted on behalf of (Brian) Flores, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, the NFL's arbitration procedure bears no resemblance to a neutral judicial forum and fails to comport with basic principles of fairness.