Federal judge keeps Biden's new eviction moratorium alive, but signals it's illegal
13 August 2021
A federal judge denied landlords' request to pause the Biden administration's new federal eviction moratorium, saying she doesn't have the authority to do so despite her belief that the policy is illegal, according to a court document filed Friday.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich determined that the new moratorium is "virtually identical" to a previous ban that she deemed illegal in May, and should therefore be considered an "extension."
- However, because that moratorium is subject to a previous appeals court ruling that allowed it to remain in place, Friedrich said that her "hands are tied."
- Alabama landlords who are challenging the ban on evictions will likely appeal, per AP.
- If the appeals court ruling doesn't go their way, they will take the case to the Supreme Court — where Justice Brett Kavanaugh has already signaled he believes the moratorium is illegal without congressional authorization, tipping the court's balance in the landlords' favor.
Why it matters: Biden himself has acknowledged that the new moratorium is "not likely to pass constitutional muster," but suggested the legal process will buy the administration and state governments time to distribute rent relief. The new 60-day moratorium imposed by the CDC is set to expire Oct. 3.
The big picture: The CDC issued an order earlier this month that barred evictions for most of the country, following protests from Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and other progressives on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
- The Biden administration, which initially said that it did not have the legal authority to extend the eviction ban, changed course amid pressure from Bush and other progressive Democrats.
- The Alabama and Georgia Associations of Realtors' emergency argue that the new order exceeds the CDC's powers.
Go deeper: Landlords mount legal challenge to Biden admin's new eviction moratorium
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.