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U.S. Supreme Court

Averting immediate showdown, chief justice pauses judge’s deadline for US to restore foreign-aid funds

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 27, 2025, 10:36 am CST

The U.S. government doesn’t have to comply with a federal judge’s Wednesday night deadline to restore foreign-aid funds after Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay in the matter.

Roberts issued the temporary stay late Wednesday in two consolidated lawsuits challenging a 90-day freeze in funding for foreign assistance programs. A plaintiff in one of the suits is the ABA, which had “tens of millions of dollars” in federal funding frozen for foreign rule of law and human rights programs, its suit said.

The Washington Post, Reuters, NBC News, Law.com, SCOTUSblog and the New York Times are among the publications with coverage.

Plaintiffs in the suit consolidated with the ABA’s alleged Feb. 19 that government defendants showed “brazen defiance” of a Feb. 13 temporary restraining order requiring restoration of funding.

U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali of the District of Columbia issued the Feb. 13 TRO. On Feb. 25, Ali issued a bench ruling setting the deadline at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 26 for compliance with his order requiring payment on completed contracts. The U.S. government immediately appealed.

Amir’s order appears to contemplate the immediate outlay of nearly $2 billion, according to the stay request filed with the Supreme Court by Acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris.

The government is committed to paying legitimate claims for work, and it is “undertaking significant efforts” toward that end, Harris said.

“What the government cannot do,” Harris wrote, “is pay arbitrarily determined demands on an arbitrary timeline of the district court’s choosing or according to extra-contractual rules that the court has devised. That mandate creates an untenable payment plan at odds with the president’s obligations under Article II to protect the integrity of the federal fisc and make appropriate judgments about foreign aid.”

The stay request argued that the suits amount to claims for breach of contract that should be heard by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The cases are U.S. Department of State v. AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Trump v. Global Health Council.

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REDDING, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes anyone interested in off-highway vehicle recreation on public lands to share ideas about the use of California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division grant funding, when the Northern California District hosts a virtual public meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be divided into three, one-hour segments for the Eagle Lake, Redding and Arcata field offices.

Representatives from each field office will present information on their OHV programs and pending requests for grants from the state of California.

“The BLM uses grant funds from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to improve off-highway riding and driving opportunities for our communities and visitors,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Dereck Wilson. “We appreciate hearing suggestions from those who enjoy off-highway vehicle sports on public lands.”

BLM offices are preparing applications for the 2025 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 3.

Those interested in learning more can join the meeting by registering to participate. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Anyone interested can participate in the entire meeting, or just the field office sessions that interest them, during the following times:

• Eagle Lake Field Office (Susanville): 4 to 5 p.m.
• Redding Field Office: 5 to 6 p.m.
• Arcata Field Office: 6 to 7 p.m.

Members of the public and OHV partner organizations are invited to provide information that will help the BLM identify new trails and redesign routes for better connectivity, safer solutions for shared trails, greater public access, and more enjoyable experiences.

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 4 to May 5, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130, attention Marisa Williams; email: mbwillia@blm.gov.

• BLM Redding Field Office, 6640 Lockheed Dr., Redding, CA 96002, attention Sky Zaffarano; email: szaffara@blm.gov.

• BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 95521, attention Casey Hague; email: chague@blm.gov.

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing funds collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle registration. For information on the OHV grant program, past grant allocations, program regulations, and more, please visit the website.

The BLM manages off-highway vehicle areas to provide outstanding, sustainable opportunities for recreation on trails designed to minimize impacts on natural resources. The agency works closely with stakeholders and communities in this effort.

In northern California, BLM offices provide OHV recreation opportunities at the Fort Sage and Rice Canyon OHV recreation areas in Lassen County, at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area in Shasta County, and at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area in Humboldt County. Additionally, OHV use is allowed on designated roads and trails through wildlands managed by the agency.

REDDING, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes anyone interested in off-highway vehicle recreation on public lands to share ideas about the use of California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division grant funding, when the Northern California District hosts a virtual public meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be divided into three, one-hour segments for the Eagle Lake, Redding and Arcata field offices.

Representatives from each field office will present information on their OHV programs and pending requests for grants from the state of California.

“The BLM uses grant funds from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to improve off-highway riding and driving opportunities for our communities and visitors,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Dereck Wilson. “We appreciate hearing suggestions from those who enjoy off-highway vehicle sports on public lands.”

BLM offices are preparing applications for the 2025 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 3.

Those interested in learning more can join the meeting by registering to participate. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Anyone interested can participate in the entire meeting, or just the field office sessions that interest them, during the following times:

• Eagle Lake Field Office (Susanville): 4 to 5 p.m.
• Redding Field Office: 5 to 6 p.m.
• Arcata Field Office: 6 to 7 p.m.

Members of the public and OHV partner organizations are invited to provide information that will help the BLM identify new trails and redesign routes for better connectivity, safer solutions for shared trails, greater public access, and more enjoyable experiences.

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 4 to May 5, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130, attention Marisa Williams; email: mbwillia@blm.gov.

• BLM Redding Field Office, 6640 Lockheed Dr., Redding, CA 96002, attention Sky Zaffarano; email: szaffara@blm.gov.

• BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 95521, attention Casey Hague; email: chague@blm.gov.

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing funds collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle registration. For information on the OHV grant program, past grant allocations, program regulations, and more, please visit the website.

The BLM manages off-highway vehicle areas to provide outstanding, sustainable opportunities for recreation on trails designed to minimize impacts on natural resources. The agency works closely with stakeholders and communities in this effort.

In northern California, BLM offices provide OHV recreation opportunities at the Fort Sage and Rice Canyon OHV recreation areas in Lassen County, at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area in Shasta County, and at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area in Humboldt County. Additionally, OHV use is allowed on designated roads and trails through wildlands managed by the agency.

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Ethics

Florida lawyer says she used trust account funds to avoid becoming homeless

By Debra Cassens Weiss

October 17, 2024, 1:58 pm CDT

An Orlando, Florida, lawyer accused of client trust account violations has said she used some settlement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid becoming homeless when she lost her primary job as a schoolteacher.

The Florida Supreme Court placed the lawyer, Natalie Renee Jones of Florida, on emergency suspension in a Sept. 16 order summarized by the Florida Bar News.

The Miami Herald covered the suspension and Jones’ explanation.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton are further compounding Jones’ troubles, Jones said in a motion for an extension of time to comply with the suspension order. The hurricanes have displaced Jones from her home and law office, and she has limited access to essential documents and records, she said.

The ethics investigation began when Bank of America notified the Florida Bar of an overdraft of about $2,400 in Jones’ client trust account in March, according to the Sept. 11 motion for the emergency suspension. The bar determined that the overdraft stemmed from Jones’ payment of fees to herself from trust account money two weeks before she deposited the settlement check.

The bar initiated an audit. It found shortages in the trust account ranging from $3,333 to $37,052 from December 2020 to June 2024, according to the suspension petition.

Jones told disciplinary authorities in a June letter that she used client settlement funds for personal expenses because “the alternative would have rendered my son and me homeless.”

The letter said Jones began working as a schoolteacher a year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also began drafting demand letters for attorneys and took on two significant accident cases against Walmart and Lyft, as well as some smaller cases.

After the pandemic shut down schools and courts, Jones wrote, “I was without a steady income and in an exceptionally precarious situation.” Because her “finances were depleted,” she had to refer her two best cases to large litigation law firms.

When smaller cases settled, she said, she did not immediately compensate medical providers and used the money for living expenses.

In her answer to the petition for an emergency suspension, Jones said there was no threat to the public because all clients received their full settlement funds. Medical providers impacted by delayed funds were contacted and informed.

Jones said she is an attorney with a 30-year career that is “devoid of bar violations or complaints.”

Since the bar inquiry began, Jones said, she has taken a continuing legal education course on emotional resiliency, has sought counseling, and has listened to podcasts on managing client trust accounts.

Neither Jones nor her lawyer, Christopher L. Clark of the First Neighborhood Law Firm, immediately responded to an ABA Journal request for comment sent to email addresses used in the disciplinary case.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has advised the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts that it has no funds available to transfer to the Judiciary to make additional payments to eligible chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees for fiscal year 2023. Trustees interested in receiving the additional payments for fiscal year 2024 should still file payment eligibility certifications.

The Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2020 (BAIA) established an additional payment for eligible chapter 7 trustees for fiscal years 2021 to 2026. The payments are funded by excess collections in the DOJ’s U.S. Trustee System Fund. Eligible chapter 7 trustees received an additional payment of $60 for each applicable case in fiscal year 2021. However, the DOJ has lacked sufficient funds for any additional payments in fiscal year 2022 and 2023 cases.

Amounts available for payment to chapter 7 trustees are determined annually based on the available balance in the U.S. Trustee System Fund, and by the case count of new chapter 7 filings and cases converted to chapter 7 during a fiscal year.

Visit the Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act Chapter 7 Trustee Payments page for additional information about the payment process, regulations, and eligibility requirements.

Sign up to receive notification annually on payment information for future fiscal years.

REDDING, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes anyone interested in off-highway vehicle recreation on public lands to share ideas about the use of grant funding, when the Northern California District hosts a virtual public meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be divided into three, one-hour segments for the Eagle Lake, Redding and Arcata field offices.

Representatives from each field office will present information on their OHV programs and pending requests for grants from the state of California. 

“The BLM uses grant funds from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to improve off-highway riding and driving opportunities for our communities and visitors,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Dereck Wilson. “We appreciate hearing suggestions from those who enjoy off-highway vehicle sports on public lands.”

Grant applications are being prepared for the 2024 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 4.

Those interested in learning more can join the meeting by registering at https://ow.ly/XA1S50QzqFW. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Anyone interested can participate in the entire meeting, or just the field office sessions that interest them, during the following times:

• Eagle Lake Field Office (Susanville): 4 to 5 p.m.
• Redding Field Office: 5 to 6 p.m.
• Arcata Field Office: 6 to 7 p.m.

The public is invited to provide information that will help the BLM identify new trails and redesign routes for better connectivity, safer solutions for shared trails, greater public access, and more enjoyable experiences. 

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 5 to May 6, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130, attention Marisa Williams; email:  mbwillia@blm.gov. 
• BLM Redding Field Office, 6640 Lockheed Drive, Redding, CA 96002, attention Sky Zaffarano; email: szaffara@blm.gov
• BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 95521, attention Casey Hague; email: chague@blm.gov.

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division is funding the planning efforts through an off-highway vehicle planning grant. The state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing more than $35 million annually collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle sticker registrations. The program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by providing financial assistance to cities, counties, districts, federal agencies, state agencies, educational institutions, and federally recognized Native American Tribes and non-profit entities. 

The BLM manages off-highway vehicle areas to provide outstanding, sustainable opportunities for recreation on trails designed to minimize impacts on natural resources. The agency works closely with stakeholders and communities in this effort.

In northern California, BLM offices provide OHV recreation opportunities at the Fort Sage and Rice Canyon OHV recreation areas in Lassen County, at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area in Shasta County, and at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area in Humboldt County. Additionally, OHV use is allowed on designated roads and trails through wildlands managed by the agency.
 

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Criminal Justice

Indictment accuses judge of using public funds to employ his son, travel, buy couch and alcohol

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 1, 2024, 9:12 am CST

The presiding judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Lauderdale County, Alabama, has been charged with lying to a grand jury and using public funds for personal purchases and his son’s employment.

Judge Gilbert P. Self, 61, of Florence, Alabama, has been indicted on 18 counts, 16 of them for alleged use of his office for personal gain or the gain of family members, according to a Jan. 29 press release by Alabama’s attorney general. The other two counts allege perjury and a false statement to public auditors.

Self is accused of spending public money for a couch; alcoholic beverages; eyeglasses and vacations, including skiing, cycling and beach trips. He is also accused of using public money for events that he didn’t attend in Reno, Nevada; Duck Key, Florida; and Mackinac Island, Michigan.

AL.com, Law & Crime, WHNT and WSFA are among the publications with coverage.

WHNT had specifics on alleged purchases from the indictment. They included a double reclining console sofa, grab-and-go beers, a chocolate martini and framing for his son’s diploma.

The indictment stemmed from a state audit that questioned several payments made from two court-fee funded accounts overseen by Self. The Alabama Daily News covered the audit findings in October 2023. The audit said Self had hired his son as a law clerk.

Self told the Alabama Daily News that his son was applying to law schools after graduating in December 2019, and he hired his son for $10 per hour in what he thought would be short-term employment.

“I thought he’d be here several months and then go on to law school; then the pandemic hit,” Self said.

He added that his son helped keep the office running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Self’s lawyers told WHNT that he voluntarily repaid all the funds spent “on these honest and correctable mistakes.”

Self also released a statement to WHNT. It reads, “From the first time the auditors brought these issues to my attention, I have acknowledged honest but correctable mistakes were made in the two bank accounts I administered as presiding judge. These mistakes happened over a period of time, when our court system was under immense pressure due to the pandemic and being understaffed and overloaded. At no time did I intend to violate any law. Lauderdale County is not out any money, and all of the money in question is in those accounts.

“Nothing can change the mistakes I made and my embarrassment and regret are painful realities. Thankfully, my wife, sons, family, friends and church have been steadfast in their support. I look forward to having the citizens of our community review what happened and consider the unprecedented circumstances surrounding many of these events.”