On June 17, 2019, the American Free Press (“AFP”), citing FEF’s contributions, published an article commending the Rise Above Movement defendants’ victory in California. The front-page AFP article about the RAM victory can be viewed here.
On February 14, 2020, Glen Allen, who has received financial aid from FEF, filed his initial brief in his appeal from Judge Blake’s dismissal of his complaint against Heidi Beirich, Mark Potok, and the SPLC. Allen presented a number of arguments for reversal of the district court’s decision. Included among them were that: the court failed properly to take into…
Jacob Goodwin attended the Charlottesville demonstrations as a pro-monument demonstrator. At some point in the melee, Goodwin, along with other persons, kicked a counterprotester several times. He should not have done this. But the sentence he received after a subsequent prosecution – eight years in prison in Virginia – was grossly disproportionate, given that the counterprotester’s injuries from the kicks…
Although amicus curiae parties are rarely permitted to file two amicus briefs in an appeal, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has accorded FEF this unusual distinction. On January 9, 2020, the Fourth Circuit allowed FEF to file a second amicus brief – FEF’s reply amicus brief – in the United States v. Miselis Rise Above Movement appeal. In its…
On May 31, 2019, Judge Cormac Carney granted FEF’s application to file its amicus (Friend of the Court) brief in the United States v. Rundo, et al. prosecution in the federal District Court for the Central District of California. This Rundo case is one of two federal prosecutions of Rise Above Movement (“RAM”) members under the federal Anti-Riot Act (the…
On November 24, 2020, the Fourth Circuit set oral argument for January 26, 2021 in Glen Allen’s appeal from the District Court’s dismissal of his complaint against Heidi Beirich, Mark Potok, and the SPLC. Allen commented that “the Fourth Circuit waited over six months after briefing was completed to schedule oral argument, so I was becoming concerned. But I’m happy…
On November 17, 2020, oral argument was held before Judges Fernandez, Paez, and Tigar in the Ninth Circuit Rundo RAM appeal. The argument was held via Zoom because of the Covid restrictions, and attorneys representing FEF listened in. The judges asked many pointed questions, especially of the government, which gave hope to FEF’s attorneys that the judges appreciate the constitutional…