All articles tagged with #recusal
Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from Suncor Energy v. Boulder, a landmark climate case set for oral arguments on October 5, 2026. The move follows scrutiny of his stock holdings in ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 and may result in a 4-4 split, leaving lower-court rulings intact.
During Operation Metro Surge, Minnesota federal judges reportedly coordinated behind the scenes via email and templates to manage a flood of habeas petitions, prompting questions about possible collusion versus efficient sharing of court-management tactics; the DOJ and DHS criticized public comments and potential recusals, while judges insist they made independent merits-based rulings despite the unusual caseload.
Prosecutors say evidence about Karmelo Anthony’s history with knives and violence was withheld from the jury in his murder trial, and Retired Judge Michael Chitty must decide by Monday on a bid for a new trial after Judge John Roach was removed for impartiality concerns. A grant would overturn the conviction and allow a new trial or plea; denial would push the case toward direct appeal. Anthony, 19, was convicted in June of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet and sentenced to 35 years in prison, with observers noting that new-trial motions are difficult to win and hinge on whether trial fairness issues were properly addressed.
In a tense hearing, Sen. Adam Schiff pressed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on conflicts of interest and recusal rules in Trump-related prosecutions, accusing Blanche of misstatements about ethics and self-dealing while Blanche defended his recusals and argued there was no need to recuse; the exchange also touched on Jan. 6 prosecutions, the status of Jack Smith’s report, and Blanche’s past CPAC remarks.
Paramount asked a federal court to recuse U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts from the states’ antitrust challenge to Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing his prior work for the Writers Guild of America creates an appearance of bias. The case may be reassigned to Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, as a related consumer suit faces parallel proceedings. A TRO hearing is set for Friday, and Paramount wants a ruling on recusal before that decision.
Patrick Davis, the Justice Department’s top official for congressional affairs, reportedly planned to file a claim with Donald Trump’s controversial ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ and asked to recuse himself over a potential conflict; the move alarmed colleagues as the fund faced backlash and was ultimately described as dead by acting AG Todd Blanche. Davis’s background—longtime Grassley aide and prior records subpoenas related to the Russiagate probe—provided context for concerns about his involvement and recusal.
The U.S. Department of Justice is requesting that a Georgia judge recuse themselves from the state’s election case, citing concerns about impartiality after reports the judge attended a campaign event hosted by Fulton County DA Fani Willis and noting the judge has faced disciplinary action.
A Texas judge recused himself from ruling on whether Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby can play this season in his NCAA eligibility suit. Judge Phillip Hays stepped aside; a replacement will be chosen by the regional presiding judge, Ana Estevez. Sorsby seeks an injunction to allow practice or playing despite a suspension for sports betting, with the NCAA's eligibility ruling still pending in Sorsby v. NCAA, DC-2026-CV-0791.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s suit seeking to restore his NCAA eligibility led to the recusal of Judge Phillip Hays; a new judge will be appointed by Ana Estevez after a one-page order offered no reason for the withdrawal. If Sorsby’s eligibility is restored, he could play for Texas Tech in 2026; otherwise he has until June 22 to pursue the NFL’s supplemental draft, with a preliminary injunction hearing set for June 15.
A California man, Cole Tomas Allen, pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted assassination after storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and firing at a Secret Service officer; his lawyers have asked to disqualify two top DOJ officials from prosecution, prompting the judge to seek clarity on potential recusals as the case carries a possible life sentence if convicted on the attempted assassination charge.
Elon Musk's lawyers asked Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery to recuse herself from a Tesla shareholder lawsuit over her LinkedIn reaction to a post criticizing him, arguing it creates a perception of bias. McCormick says she did not read the post and reported suspicious activity after her account showed an unusual reaction; the filing seeks to reassign the case to another judge. The matter relates to Musk's past rulings and his move of companies from Delaware to Texas, and concerns allegations Musk misled about selling Tesla shares prior to the Twitter purchase.
A Utah County judge declined to recuse the Utah County Attorney’s Office over a lead prosecutor’s child attending the Turning Point USA event where Charlie Kirk was shot, ruling the attendance did not materially influence prosecutors’ decisions. The court allowed the death-penalty case against Tyler Robinson to proceed, noting the prosecutors have no plans to call the child as a witness. The defense argued that the office’s handling of the potential conflict showed bias, but Judge Tony Graf said there was no appearance of bias and kept the office in charge. If needed, the defense can subpoena the child, and Robinson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin May 18 over a multi-day proceeding.
The NCAA won a bid to have Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge James Roberts recused from the Charles Bediako case over concerns about impartiality tied to his Alabama ties; Bediako’s lawyers did not oppose the move and stressed the court’s fairness, while a new Tuscaloosa County judge will be assigned to reschedule the injunction hearing as the eligibility dispute continues following a TRO extension.
The NCAA has filed a motion seeking Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts, who is listed as an Alabama donor, to recuse himself from the Charles Bediako eligibility lawsuit after Roberts previously granted 10-day TROs; no ruling or new hearing date has been set, while Bediako has debuted for Alabama and the team faces upcoming games.
An Indiana judge recused herself from the criminal case against former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez, which involves charges of battery and misdemeanors related to an altercation in Indianapolis. The case has been reassigned, with a pretrial conference scheduled for October and a jury trial tentatively set for December.