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Jacqueline Thomsen

@jacqthomsen.bsky.social

570 followers 340 following 36 posts

Legal reporter, sometimes not. [email protected]

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Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · 5h

I was at Judge Bove and Mascott's debut argument this morning, where they sat on opposite ends of the dais. Bove didn't ask any questions but Mascott dove right in and pressed lawyers about conducting a history and tradition analysis over New Jersey gun/magazine restrictions.

Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · 10h

A more conservative Third Circuit will debut at en banc arguments, as two new appointees of President Donald Trump are expected to hear their first case, @jacqthomsen.bsky.social reports

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Trump Appointees’ Debut Marks Third Circuit’s Conservative Tilt

A more conservative Third Circuit will debut at en banc arguments, as two new appointees of President Donald Trump are expected to hear their first case.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · 1d

Reagan appointed judges are emerging as vocal critics of the Trump administration’s efforts to circumvent court orders or challenge the law in unprecedented ways, @jacqthomsen.bsky.social and Brian Dowling report

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Reagan Judges Are Unrestrained Critics of Trump’s Legal Moves

Judges appointed by President Ronald Reagan are emerging as vocal critics of the Trump administration’s efforts to circumvent court orders or challenge the law in unprecedented ways, backed by decades...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · 5d

A federal judge’s sentence of just over eight years for the would-be killer of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is teed up to be scrutinized by a federal appeals court as critics contend the punishment was too light, @jacqthomsen.bsky.social reports

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Judge Faces Backlash in Sentence of Would-Be Kavanaugh Assassin

A federal judge’s sentence of just over eight years for the would-be killer of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is teed up to be scrutinized by a federal appeals court as critics contend the puni...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Seth Stern @sethstern.bsky.social · Sep 10

The Supreme Court’s repeated grants of emergency relief to the Trump administration is creating fissures in the judiciary, while empowering the president to fight any lower court judge’s intervention, @jacqthomsen.bsky.social and @justinfwise.bsky.social report

news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Supreme Court Emergency Orders For Trump Sow Cracks in Judiciary

The Supreme Court’s repeated grants of emergency relief to the Trump administration is creating fissures in the judiciary, while empowering the president to fight any lower court judge’s intervention.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Aug 18

Reed O'Connor, a conservative who's handled major national cases, is the new chief judge for the Northern District of Texas. The court's faced scrutiny for judge shopping by conservative litigants and O'Connor has defended the court's assignment rules. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Conservative Judge O’Connor is New Chief in North Texas

US District Judge Reed O’Connor, a conservative known for overseeing national policy cases, is now the chief judge for the Northern District of Texas, the court announced.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Aug 13

A Virginia federal judge is hearing arguments now in Baltimore on the Justice Department's suit against all fed judges in Maryland. "I think you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I have some skepticism," the presiding judge told a DOJ lawyer news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Judge Doubtful of Justice Department Case Against Maryland Court

A federal judge told a Justice Department attorney that he is skeptical of the department’s arguments in suing all federal district judges in Maryland over a standing order blocking immediate deportat...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Aug 12

A foreign adversary targeted sealed documents in espionage and other sensitive cases in a breach of the federal judiciary’s case management system, according to three people familiar with the matter. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Foreign Hackers Said to Access Sealed National Security Cases

A foreign adversary targeted sealed documents in espionage and other sensitive cases in a breach of the federal judiciary’s case management system, according to three people familiar with the matter.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 11

An entire news crew working for Al Jazeera was killed by Israel as they sought to bring the world firsthand reporting from #Gaza.

Among them was prominent journalist Anas Al-Sharif, who had been previously smeared and threatened by the IDF.

#NotATarget

Full statement: cpj.org/2025/08/isra...

Israel kills Al Jazeera journalists in targeted Gaza City airstrike - Committee to Protect Journalists

New York, August 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled to learn of the killing today of Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher and M...

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Ben Penn @benjaminpenn.bsky.social · Jul 14

News: AG Pam Bondi's order to dismiss charges against Utah plastic surgeon accused of selling fake Covid vaccine cards ran counter to an earlier decision from her weaponization working group. In April, the group rebuffed an appeal from doctor's lawyer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Bondi Overrode Weaponization Team in Dismissing Vaccine Case

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s abrupt order to drop charges against the Utah plastic surgeon accused of selling false Covid vaccination cards came months after Bondi’s weaponization working group cleare...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Jul 3

New: Star conservative lawyer Paul Clement has moved to defend Maryland's federal trial judges from a Justice Department lawsuit, the latest instance of him facing off with the Trump administration in court news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Paul Clement to Defend Maryland Judges From DOJ Lawsuit

US district judges in Maryland have hired top conservative litigator Paul Clement to defend them from a Justice Department lawsuit, according to court filings.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Bloomberg Law @bloomberglaw.com · Jun 27

There have been more than 400 threats to federal judges since October, surpassing the number of threats to judges in all of fiscal 2022 with over three months still left in this fiscal year.

Hundreds of US Judges Received Over 400 Threats Since October

There have been more than 400 threats to federal judges since October, surpassing the number of threats to judges in all of fiscal 2022 with over three months still left in this fiscal year.

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · May 30

News: Former Texas solicitor general Judd Stone resigned from the committee that vets candidates for federal judgeships and US attorney roles in Texas after a lawsuit this week accused him of sexual harassment. with Ryan Autullo for @bloomberglaw.com news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Judd Stone Departs Texas Judicial Vetting Panel After Lawsuit

Former Texas Solicitor General Judd Stone is off a committee of prominent lawyers charged with screening candidates for federal judgeships following a lawsuit that accuses him of sexual harassment, ac...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · May 29

Another complaint rejected over federal judges not hiring clerks from Columbia -- but a circuit judge said there might an issue when judges "begin using their power as government officials to pressure private institutions to conform to the judges’ preferences" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Chief Judge Questions Judicial Boycotts in Tossing Complaint

A federal appeals court chief judge dismissed a misconduct complaint against a district judge who will no longer hire law clerks from Columbia University, but said “widespread judicial boycotting” cou...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · May 22

New: Maryland's federal trial court adopted a standing order blocking the immediate removal of detained foreign citizens who file habeas petitions giving judges time to weigh those cases. It's the same court where Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case is being heard. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Maryland Federal Court Halts Quick Removals of Detained Migrants

The Maryland federal district court adopted a new order that blocks the immediate removal of any detained foreign citizen who has filed a habeas petition.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 30

ICYMI, we reported yesterday on those who have interviewed to be federal judges in the Western District of Texas bsky.app/profile/jacq...

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 30

News: Lawyers are lining up for the open federal judgeships in Texas. Folks interviewed include a new SCOTX member, a former Cruz counsel, a Paxton whistleblower and current magistrate judges. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Newest Texas High Court Member Seeks Austin Federal Judgeship

Justice James Sullivan, the newest member of the Supreme Court of Texas, has applied and interviewed to become a US district court judge in Austin, according to multiple people familiar with the matte...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 30

Scoop: A dozen people have interviewed to be federal judges in the Southern District of Texas. A former chief counsel for Cruz, state and magistrate judges, and current and ex-fed prosecutors are on the list, per sources familiar news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Dozen Candidates Interview for Southern Texas Federal Judgeships

A dozen attorneys and judges have interviewed for open seats in the Houston and McAllen, Texas federal district courts, according to two people familiar with the matter.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 30

News: Lawyers are lining up for the open federal judgeships in Texas. Folks interviewed include a new SCOTX member, a former Cruz counsel, a Paxton whistleblower and current magistrate judges. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Newest Texas High Court Member Seeks Austin Federal Judgeship

Justice James Sullivan, the newest member of the Supreme Court of Texas, has applied and interviewed to become a US district court judge in Austin, according to multiple people familiar with the matte...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 30

News: Lawyers are lining up for the open federal judgeships in Texas. Folks interviewed include a new SCOTX member, a former Cruz counsel, a Paxton whistleblower and current magistrate judges. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Newest Texas High Court Member Seeks Austin Federal Judgeship

Justice James Sullivan, the newest member of the Supreme Court of Texas, has applied and interviewed to become a US district court judge in Austin, according to multiple people familiar with the matte...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 23

The Trump appointee is one of two active judges who hear most cases filed in Fort Worth. The other judge is Reed O'Connor, a well-known conservative. Their court is in the Northern District of Texas, scrutinized over conservative "judge shopping" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Shopping for the Judge You Want Honed to Perfection in Texas

Conservative groups have ensured that their challenges to Biden administration policies get in front of like-minded judges by claiming an address in Fort Worth or Amarillo, recruiting plaintiffs who l...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Apr 23

News: Judge Mark Pittman now wants attorneys to prove their lawsuits belong in his Fort Worth federal court if there's no obvious ties to the division. Comes after an appeals court twice rejected his order transferring a national lawsuit out of his court news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Texas Judge Pittman Wants Proof Lawsuits Belong in His Courtroom

A Texas federal judge is now asking parties to prove that their cases belong in his courtroom after a high-profile back-and-forth with the Fifth Circuit over whether a national lawsuit should be heard...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Mar 20

Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMC7...

Dissent video in 23-55805 Duncan v. Bonta

YouTube video by United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

www.youtube.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Mar 20

Judge Lawrence VanDyke said his colleagues on the Ninth Circuit don't understand how guns work. His solution? An unusual video dissent, filmed in his chambers, in which he went over the parts of several handguns.

Judge VanDyke Displays Guns in Chambers in Unusual Video Dissent

Ninth Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke submitted a video of him going over the parts of several hanguns in his chambers, as part of his dissent over a California gun law.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Jacqueline Thomsen @jacqthomsen.bsky.social · Mar 17

Fifth Circuit Judge Jim Ho said many of the US’s largest law firms are suffering from “institutional bias,” amid President Donald Trump’s attacks on firms that he views as enemies. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Judge James Ho Targets 'Bias' at Law Firms Amid Trump Attacks

Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho said many of the US’s largest law firms are suffering from “institutional bias,” amid President Donald Trump’s attacks on firms that he views as enemies.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Suzanne Monyak @suzannemonyak.bsky.social · Mar 11

Federal judges raised concerns about recent impeachment push against judges who've ruled against Trump.

Impeachment shouldn't be a "short circuiting" of normal appeals process, Judge Richard Sullivan told reporters. w/ @jacqthomsen.bsky.social news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

US Judges Speak Out Against Republican Impeachment Push (1)

A federal judge overseeing judicial security issues said he’s concerned about recent articles of impeachment filed against judges who have ruled against the Trump administration’s early actions.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Reposted by Jacqueline Thomsen

Suzanne Monyak @suzannemonyak.bsky.social · Mar 9

Scoop w/ @justinfwise.bsky.social: Trump's DOJ plans to dismiss a Biden-era civil suit over sexual abuse of migrant children.

“The United States is turning its back on children who are being abused in our country,” said a former civil rights division official. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

US Said to Drop Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Migrant Child Shelter

The Justice Department plans to drop a Biden-era lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by employees of a company that houses thousands of unaccompanied migrant children and has received billions of dollars in...

news.bloomberglaw.com