The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) despatched a memo to its civil rights department, ordering a freeze to all ongoing litigation originating from the Biden management and halting the pursuit of any new instances or settlements, in keeping with stories.
The Washington Post first reported {that a} memo despatched to Kathleen Wolfe, the brief head of the department appointed by way of the Trump management, prompt her to ensure lawyers don’t report “any new court cases, motions to intrude, agree-upon remands, amicus briefs, or statements of hobby.”
As to how lengthy the freeze will ultimate, the memo does now not say, regardless that it nearly ceases the department till President Donald Trump’s nomination to guide the dep., Harmeet Dhillon, is showed by way of the Senate.
The newsletter additionally reported the freeze used to be “in line with the Division’s purpose of making sure that the Federal Govt speaks with one voice in its view of the legislation and to be sure that the President’s appointees or designees have the ability to come to a decision whether or not to begin any new instances.”
The Division of Justice in Washington, D.C. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg by means of Getty Photographs)
A supply conversant in the memo showed its contents to Fox Information.
The DOJ had no remark at the topic.
Wolfe used to be additionally advised in every other memo that the department should inform the executive of team of workers of the DOJ about any consent decrees finalized by way of the department during the last 90 days.
President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump (Getty Photographs)
Previous this month, a Kentucky pass judgement on declined to straight away signal a police reform consent decree solid by way of the DOJ and the town of Louisville all the way through a listening to one court docket player described as a hasty strive by way of the Biden management to hamstring incoming President Trump.
However federal Pass judgement on Benjamin Beaton refused to be a “rubber stamp” for a 240-page reform plan brought on by way of the 2020 police-involved taking pictures of Breonna Taylor, in keeping with Oversight Mission suggest Kyle Brosnan.
Taylor used to be killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officials sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s area. Walker fired a “caution shot” during the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly within the leg.
PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN
A photograph of Breonna Taylor shared on the 2022 Protect Black Ladies March in Black Lives Subject Plaza in Washington, D.C. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Photographs for Frontline Motion Hub)
A consent decree, Brosnan famous, isn’t like different prison agreements in that it can not merely be reversed by way of presidential order or a metamorphosis of middle by way of probably the most events in touch.
The consent decree alleged a trend or observe of racial bias in Louisville policing, together with in visitors stops, sexual attack probes or use of drive.
There are a minimum of two different police reform consent decrees going during the prison procedure, one in Maryland and one in Minnesota.
On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an settlement with Minneapolis, which nonetheless calls for court approval, to reform the dep.’s “unconstitutional and illegal practices” allegedly counter to the American citizens With Disabilities Act and 14th Modification.
In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Division of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations.
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“The US claims MDSP violated Name VII when it used a definite bodily health take a look at and a definite written take a look at to rent entry-level Soldiers since the checks disqualified extra feminine and African-American candidates than others and weren’t activity comparable,” a courtroom record states.
Maryland police dispute the allegations.
Fox Information Virtual’s Charles Creitz contributed to this record.
