Seamus Hughes

Editor, Court Watch. Academic at NCITE. I read a lot of court records because I like a good story. Won a Pulitzer that one time. “A well-known PACER watcher” - DOJ

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The Rabbit Hole

Sep 13, 2026

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10 min read

The Rabbit Hole: Terrorism’s Second Act

A growing number of convicted terrorists are soon to be released from prison, there’s no plan to address potential recidivism.

Peter Beck, +2

Weekly Roundup

DOJ Secures Legal Victory In First Alien Terrorist Removal

Sep 11, 2026

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1 min read

DOJ Secures Legal Victory In First Alien Terrorist Removal

Afghan Texas Woman Removed from U.S. in the 30-year-old court’s first case.

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

#190: Stopping the 'Stop Nick Shirley Act'?

Sep 11, 2026

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5 min read

#190: Stopping the 'Stop Nick Shirley Act'?

California might be too terminally online for even us. Plus: Cartels, Weaponized Drones, Anarchists, and NBA gambling pleas.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

Sep 4, 2026

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6 min read

#189: Settle for Sleep?

Mike Lindell dangles a possible government settlement to pay off debts. Plus: AUSA engages in the oldest profession in the world, force feeding a NatGuard shooter, and FIFA drama

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

Aug 28, 2026

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5 min read

#188: Charity for Hamas

Twenty years of humanitarian work while moonlighting for terrorism? Plus: Judge Roberts impersonated, Abbey Gate DOJ win, and Joshua Kushner subpoenaed over sports.

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

Aug 27, 2026

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11 min read

The Church Bells Still Ring

A year after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, an examination of faith and fidelity to nothing.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

Aug 21, 2026

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5 min read

#187: The Justice Department Owns a Bar

And not the legal kind. Plus: AUSA indicted, Defamation lawsuit fails, Threatening Flock, AI parody fights, and unmasking an anonymous twitter account.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

Aug 7, 2026

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6 min read

#186: Ok Google, how illegal is this?

Asking A.I. if you’ll catch a federal charge. Plus: A Judge’s Meme, Terror Charity, Bollywood-inspired robbery, and TikTok’s second amendment.

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

Judge Rules Tower Dumps Search Inherently Unconstitutional

Aug 5, 2026

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3 min read

Judge Rules Tower Dumps Search Inherently Unconstitutional

Docket and Opinion are only available because Court Watch successfully fought to unseal the case.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

Aug 5, 2026

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1 min read

Moment of Truth

Court Watch has led the news this last month. That may not happen again without your help.

Seamus Hughes

Weekly Roundup

Jul 31, 2026

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5 min read

#185: A Quarter-Life Crisis for a Court

Being the oldest court in judicial kindergarten is confusing. Plus: DoD defamation lawsuit, DOJ settling over water, Wilmer Hale breach, and shotgun complaints.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

First Alien Terrorist Removal Court Case Revealed

Jul 29, 2026

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1 min read

First Alien Terrorist Removal Court Case Revealed

The Justice Department seeks to remove a Texas woman linked to ISIS plot.

Seamus Hughes

The Rabbit Hole

Jul 26, 2026

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15 min read

The Rabbit Hole: The Rip Van Winkle Court

Last week, the Alien Terrorist Removal Court had its first case in 30 years. We dive into DOJ’s awakening of a controversial court.

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

#184: An Outbreak of Cyclospora Lawsuits

Jul 24, 2026

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5 min read

#184: An Outbreak of Cyclospora Lawsuits

The FDA may not know the source, but ambulance chasers do. Plus: Post Office Melee, Fake Cop, and a 500 billion dollar lawsuit.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Alien Terrorist Removal Court Has Its First Case

Jul 18, 2026

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1 min read

Alien Terrorist Removal Court Has Its First Case

Created in 1996, the Alien Terrorist Removal Court has never reviewed an application. Until now

Seamus Hughes

Weekly Roundup

#183: Bribing an Immigration Official With A Bottle of Patron.

Jul 17, 2026

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5 min read

#183: Bribing an Immigration Official With A Bottle of Patron.

Come on, it’s not even añejo. Plus: Flock threats, Trump Genius, K-Pop’s nationwide injunction, and DOJ supports court transparency

Seamus Hughes, +1

The Rabbit Hole

Jul 12, 2026

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9 min read

The Rabbit Hole: All the Court’s a Stage

Welcome to the era of performative lawsuits.

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

Jul 10, 2026

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5 min read

#182: Can You Really Own a Meme?

Chicken companies fight over ‘6 7’. Plus: Tennis Power Struggle, Repeat Stowaway, WSJ lawsuit, and is DOGE actually dead?

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

#181: ‘An exercise of Kafkaesque futility’

Jun 26, 2026

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6 min read

#181: ‘An exercise of Kafkaesque futility’

We just wanted to look at a document. Plus: Waffle House Antics, Trump Coin, Would Be Pulse Night Club Copycat.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

#180: Prediction Market Didn’t Predict This Lawsuit

Jun 19, 2026

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5 min read

#180: Prediction Market Didn’t Predict This Lawsuit

Chicago bankers are angry, and we give them good odds to cover the lawsuit spread. Plus: Denaturalization cases on the rise, recusals, the fear of god and... daddybiden?

Peter Beck, +1

The Rabbit Hole

Jun 14, 2026

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12 min read

The Rabbit Hole: Freeing the Courts

New legislation offers the possibility of free and searchable access to court records. But there are other systemic issues within the judiciary that still hinder transparency

Peter Beck, +1

Weekly Roundup

#179: Congress Can Legally Say Horrible Things about You on Social Media

Jun 12, 2026

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5 min read

#179: Congress Can Legally Say Horrible Things about You on Social Media

With the help of the Trump Administration, a defamation lawsuit against an anti-Trump Congresswoman goes down. Plus: Judicially-ordered religious training cancelled, ISIS is in vogue again, NFT arrest, and the Post Office has a corruption problem.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

Jun 5, 2026

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5 min read

#178: Stop the (mint) Presses

A Pro Se Litigant Mostly Wins against DOJ. Plus: FIFA and Whales, Guns and JFK Airport, P. Diddy’s Lawyer Goes Venezuela, and a 77 year old discovers a new brother thanks to one federal judge.

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

May 29, 2026

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5 min read

#177: CSI: Courts

In a misconduct investigation, they sent a judge’s couch cushion to the lab? Plus: Rihanna, Bolt cutting ICE handcuffs, AI screwups, and Latvian passports

Seamus Hughes, +1

Weekly Roundup

May 22, 2026

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5 min read

#176: Moon Rocks and White Ethnostates

The U.S. Courts had a versatile week. Plus: Loomer Appeals, Lamborghinis Seized, Candace Owen-related subpoena, and a 400 Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme

Seamus Hughes, +1