Today our firm filed an amicus brief in the Second Circuit defending President Trump’s and his Department of Health and Human Services’ effort to protect healthcare workers from being forced to participate in abortions, sterilizations, and euthanasia. Our brief explains that Planned Parenthood and the other plaintiffs are still pursuing an Eugenics Agenda. Our brief explains how the
TSCL & CMF Comments on FDA Draft Guidance on Homeopathic Products
On behalf of The Senior Citizens League, and the Center for Medical Freedom, we filed comments with the FDA supporting the view that the FDAt has no authority over homeopathic products other than to prevent adulterated products.
“These commentors believe that the FDA is wholly without authority to impose regulations and direct enforcement efforts against homeopathic remedies, except with respect
Rodriguez v. City of San Jose
Today our firm filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review an inexplicable Ninth Circuit decision upholding an illegal search and seizure of firearms by the San Jose Police after her husband had a mental health crisis. Seven years after that seizure, the City of San Jose, California is still refusing to return her firearms to her. Even though Lori Rodriguez is not a disqualified person, more than seven years later, she is still fighting a court battle to recover those firearms, a battle which is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Virginia v. Ferriero
Today our firm filed an amicus brief explaining why the Equal Rights Amendment, proposed by Congress in 1972, is no longer before the U.S. Supreme Court. Therefore, the Virginia General Assembly’s resolution of ratification was null and void.
Lynchburg Range & Training v. Northam (Lynchburg Circuit Court, after remand from federal district court)
After remand of our case to Lynchburg Circuit Court, we filed a number of documents in state court on April 23, 2020, and on April 27, 2020, Judge Yeatts issued an injunction against Governor Northam, with an opinion letter.
Lynchburg Range & Training v. Northam (U.S. District Court Litigation)
Today our firm filed an emergency motion to remand the Lynchburg Range & Training v. Northam case to the Circuit Court for the city of Lynchburg.
Lynchburg Range & Training v. Northam (Circuit Court Litigation)
Today our firm filed a complaint in Lynchburg (Virginia) Circuit Court to enjoin the provision Governor Northam’s Executive Order 53 which closed “indoor shooting ranges.”
Link to Complaint
Link to Exhibits
Link to Proposed Injunction Order
Link to Mitch Tyler Affidavit
Link to Philip Van Cleave Affidavit
Link to Erich Pratt Affidavit
Hughes v. Northam
On April 8, 2020, we learned that an individual had challenged Virginia Governor Northam’s Executive Order banning meetings — including Church Services — so that he could go to church on Easter without fear of being charged. The case was filed in Virginia Circuit Court in Russell County, in far Southwest Virginia. Since the petition included a claim under the First Amendment,
ARTICLE: COVID-19: Distancing is no solution to a spiritual problem
Today Herb Titus and I wrote an article carried in The American Thinker on the missing spiritual dimension in addressing the Corona Virus. Here is just a bit: “We know from Daniel 2:17 that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.” But we must come to the Lord on His terms, not ours. He has the power to remove temporal judgments from the people, but repeatedly in Scripture we see His precondition of repentance — a change of mind, and a change of behavior. See 2 Peter 3.”
FOIA Complaint — Public Advocate v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Today we filed a complaint against the CDC for their refusal to respond to our Freedom of Information Act request for copies of records related to the CDC’s 2014 “Acting Against AIDS” campaign.
Link to Complaint
Link to Exhibit A
Link to Exhibit B
Link to Exhibit C
Link to Exhibit D
Link to Exhibit E
Link to Exhibit F
Link to Exhibit G
Link to Exhibit H
Roberts & GOA v. U.S. Justice Department
Today, with Kerry Morgan, Esquire of Wyandotte, Michigan, we filed suit on behalf of gun owners against the U.S. Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to challenge an unlawful action of ATF affecting Michigan gun owners. On March 3, 2020, ATF issued a determination letter that directed Michigan FFLs to refuse to accept a concealed pistol license in lieu of a NICS background check from the FBI when buying a gun. Federal law allows the use of such a license to purchase a firearm. Our complaint can be found here.
Article: Schumer’s SCOTUS Comments Were Designed To Mislead the Public
The Western Journal published an article by Herb Titus and Bill Olson about the rant by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer against Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. This article focused on what may have been the real purpose of the attack — to rally leftists to the pro-abortion cause by misrepresenting to the the rabidly pro-abortion crowd and their friends around the country about what a repeal of Roe v. Wade could mean.
Coral Ridge Ministries Media v. Amazon & Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
Today our firm filed an amicus brief in support of a complaint filed by Coral Ridge Ministries Media, which has been unfairly classified as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. We explain in our brief that the SPLC defames organizations like Coral Ridge Ministries by adding them to a “hate map,” which is used
VCDL Lobby Day Rally in Richmond, Virginia
Today our firm was represented at VCDL Lobby Day in Richmond by Bill Olson, Jeremiah Morgan, and Robert Olson, left to right below. We were obviously dressed for the occasion, as the temperature climbed slowly from 25 degrees when we hit the streets. Honored to stand for “the right to keep and bear arms” with tens of thousands of peaceful, law-abiding Virginians and others from around the country. There was no place in America which was more safe than in the middle of this well-equipped assembly exercising our right to petition government.
On the far side of the Capitol Grounds, that few saw, were staged numerous emergency vehicles, including this one on which was painted these words: “Mass Casualty/Evacuation Transport Unit.”
Reply to Virginia’s Response in Opposition filed in Virginia Supreme Court on Virginia Governor Northam’s Gun Ban EO
After we filed our Emergency Petition for Review last night, this morning at about 9:15 am, the Solicitor General of Virginia filed his Response in Opposition. We filed our Reply to that Opposition about 1:00 pm. The Virginia Supreme Court issued an Order denying our Petition for Review about 6:15 pm.
Emergency Petition for Review filed Against Virginia Governor Northam’s Gun Ban EO
About 6:00 pm this evening, we filed in the Virginia Supreme Court an Emergency Petition for Review asking the Court to enjoin Governor Northam’s Executive Order banning firearms on the grounds of the Virginia Capitol, as unauthorized by law, in violation of law (Virginia Code section 44-146.15) , and unconstitutional. (See next entry.)
Complaint & Application for Temporary Injunction Against Virginia Governor Northam’s Gun Ban EO
About noon on Wednesday, January 15, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia and issued Executive Order 49, which temporarily bans the possession or carrying of firearms in Richmond on Lobby Day (Monday, January 20). Today, Thursday, January 16, about noon, on behalf of Gun Owners of America and Virginia Citizens Defense League, and three individuals, our firm filed a Complaint and Application in the the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, seeking a temporary injunction against the Governor’s order. In this case, we are working with David G. Browne, Esquire of Spiro and Browne, in Richmond. A hearing was held before Judge Joi Jeter Taylor from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. Judge Taylor issued an Order denying our Application at 4:31 pm. (This led to our filing an Emergency Petition for Review in the Virginia Supreme Court about 6:00 pm (see next entry).
Article: Gun activists appeal to Virginia Supreme Court after judge rejects bid to halt gun ban in Capitol Square
The Richmond Times Dispatch covered our petition for review in the Virginia Supreme Court to challenge the Richmond Circuit Court’s refusal to enjoin Governor Northam’s Capitol Grounds gun ban.
National Association for Gun Rights v. Mangan
Today we filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a petition for certiorari designed to challenge a 2015 Montana State election law. The law regulated “electioneering communications” — borrowing a term which Congress had employed in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 to require reporting of a narrow category of broadcast advertisements
Fauquier County (Virginia) Board of Supervisors Hearing on Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolution
Tonight, approximately 3,000 people came out to support Fauquier County, Virginia adopting a Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolution. Rob Olson spoke out in favor of the resolution supported by Virginia Civilian Defense League (VCDL), but against the watered down version that had been proposed. As he advised the elected officials: “Let’s do better than this. Let’s grow a spine and adopt something that’s meaningful.” Watch the video here.
Article: “Sixth Circuit Hears Debate Over Legality of Bump Stocks”
L-R: Rob Olson and Erich Pratt.
Today, Rob Olson presented oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in our continuing litigation against ATF’s bump stock regulation issued in December 2018. The issue today before the court was the correctness of District Judge Paul Maloney’s ruling denying our motion for a preliminary injunction against the regulation. This article in CourthouseNews discusses the oral argument.
FSC/FSDEF Comments Filed with IRS re Form 990, Schedule B, Donor Identification Rules
Today we filed comments with the IRS, supporting its proposed regulation to eliminate the requirement for exempt organizations, other than IRC section 501(c)(3) organizations, to identify the name and address of their largest donors on their IRS Form 990s. These comments were filed for Free Speech Coalition, Free Speech Defense and Education Fund, and eleven other organizations. We asked the IRS to expand the exemption to include section 501(c)(3) organizations as well.
NY State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. City of NY: Oral Argument in First Gun Case to Reach SCOTUS since Heller & McDonald
Prior to the December 2, 2019 oral argument in New York Rifle & Pistol Association, we provided this analysis.
ATF Firearms Industry Operations Manual Obtained via GOA FOIA Request
John Crump of Ammoland wrote an article about Gun Owners of America obtaining from ATF its internal “Firearms Industry Operations Manual.” This manual allows FFLs to better prepare for inspections by ATF. The manual was obtained by GOA in a matter our firm handled A PDF of the manual is available here.