The Aporia · "I Will Not Stand for Being Jerked Around … by Any Lawyer Who Practices Before Me"

Eugene Volokh

183 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Some excerpts from the long First Superseding Indictment in U.S. v. Hakim (E.D. Mich.), filed Oct. 21, alleging conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce as well as, for two defendants, witness intimidation and destruction of property to prevent seizure (8 of the 12 defendants had originally been indicted in May); the targets included UM officials and businesses connected with them, as well as the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit:

2026-11-01 · assertive framing · 12 Defendants Indicted for Threats Aimed at Causing University of Michigan and Others to Sever Ties with Israel

🔮 Because "[t]he costs and efforts required to defend a lawsuit through [discovery] could chill free speech nearly as effectively as the absence of the actual malice standard altogether[,]" a public figure plaintiff must plausibly allege actual malice at the outset of the litigation.

2026-10-31 · assertive framing · Trump vs. WSJ Libel Lawsuit over Trump's Alleged Birthday Wishes to Epstein Thrown out

🔮 The First Amendment forbids a State from using its investigative power that way, and I will not allow it while this case is pending.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Court Blocks W. Va. AG's Subpoena to Environmentalist Nonprofits

🔮 The same logic could apply to nuns who had felt religious pressure to do the educational or nursing work that their order was known for, or to monks who had felt religious pressure to do agricultural work that supports the monastery.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Amicus Brief in OneTaste Criminal Prosecution

🔮 Before doing so, "he entered the coffee shop to purchase a cookie, which he hoped would be seen as a sign of goodwill."

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Discovery Sanctions Recommended in "Are You a Jew? … Are You a Zionist?" Case

🔮 While individuals who are the subjects of unwanted speech may be able to limit some speech directed to them, they cannot limit offensive speech about them directed to others.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · 10-Year "Harassment"/"Stalking" Sentence for Repeatedly Criticizing Police Detective Violated First Amendment, Amicus Brief Argues

🔮 Because "the conduct regulated depend[ed] on—and [could not] be separated from—the ideas communicated," Florida's law was "functionally a regulation of speech" implicating the First Amendment.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Law Banning Employer Requirements That Employees Listen to Employer's Religious or Political Speech Likely Violates Employer's First Amendment Rights

🔮 You might assume that some judge is "woke" or "Trumpy" or what have you, but there's a pretty good chance that the judge's legal analysis is still correct.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Even "Trumpy Judges" and "Woke Judges" Might Know More Law Than You Do

🔮 The hope would be to siphon votes away from Sullivan.

2026-10-29 · mixed framing · The Law and Democrats Allegedly Recruiting Second "Dan Sullivan" to Run in Alaska Senate Race

🔮 Alas, like other formerly unique human skills, I expect this one too will fall victim to competition from AI.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · "Plaintiff Appears to Be a Well-Educated Individual with Time on His Hands,"

Also by Eugene Volokh

12 Defendants Indicted for Threats Aimed at Causing University of Michigan and Others to Sever Ties with Israel

2026-11-01 · Reason

Open Thread

2026-11-01 · Reason

Trump vs. WSJ Libel Lawsuit over Trump's Alleged Birthday Wishes to Epstein Thrown out

2026-10-31 · Reason

American Cities, Population >50K, Named After Foreign (Excluding British) Political Figures

2026-10-31 · Reason

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 183 articles by Eugene Volokh →

My order requires no clarification. asserted

order → require → clarification

Counsel for Ms. Freeman do not get to set the rules. asserted

Counsel → get → rules

Ms. Freeman will answer EVERY question that is put to her—whether or not the question was asked previously. asserted

question → answer → her

If Ms. Freeman asserts attorney client privilege with respect to a question that was not previously asked, you are to call my chambers immediately to obtain a ruling. asserted

you → assert → ruling

If I have to rule on more than one frivolous attorney client privilege objection, there will be consequences, in the form of sanctions, adverse inferences, referrals to the court's Grievance Committee with the possible revocation of pro hac vice admission to practice or admission to the Bar of this Court, and the possibility of a civil contempt holding. asserted

I → have → holding

Please understand—this is not an idle threat. asserted

this → understand → ?

I do not believe that Ms. Freeman's counsel is acting in good faith and I will not stand for being jerked around—and I am indeed being jerked around—in this manner by any lawyer who practices before me. asserted

who → believe → me

If there are privilege objections asserted after that hour, you will have to come back on Thursday morning at noon (9 AM PDT) so that I can rule on them. asserted

I → be → them

At that point the deposition will be completed in my (telephonic) presence. asserted

deposition → complete → presence

I do not care if this does not accord with your schedule. asserted

this → care → schedule

My schedule has not been of any particular interest to Ms. Freeman and her attorney up to now; my schedule controls now. asserted

schedule → control → Freeman

A related filing from Ms. Freeman's lawyer defending his position is here. asserted

filing → relate → position

"I Will Not Stand for Being Jerked Around … by Any Lawyer Who Practices Before Me"

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