Merrick Garland

American lawyer and jurist

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2024 Found in Contempt of Congress following the Joe Biden classified documents incident.
November 2024 Concerns were raised regarding the pace of prosecutions against former president Donald Trump, indicating that none of the indictments by special counsel Jack Smith were likely to reach trial before the upcoming November election.
July 11 2024 An attempt by the House of Representatives to find Merrick Garland in 'inherent contempt' fell short in a vote, which would have imposed a daily fine on him for not complying with a congressional subpoena to provide audio recordings related to a presidential interview.
June 12 2024 Garland was held in contempt by the House of Representatives for defying subpoenas related to an investigation, specifically concerning the disclosure of audio from an interview with President Biden, which was blocked by the invocation of executive privilege.
February 8 2024 The Department of Justice released a report authored by special counsel Robert Hur, which examined President Biden's handling of classified documents, concluding no charges were necessary. The report raised concerns about Biden's memory and mental acuity, influencing its conclusions.
August 1 2023 Appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith to oversee investigations into former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents and his actions surrounding the January 6th Capitol riot.
August 1 2023 Appointed David Weiss as special counsel to continue the investigation into Hunter Biden's tax and gun-related matters, expanding the scope of the existing probe.
November 2022 Following Donald Trump's announcement of his 2024 presidential campaign, Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to oversee the investigations into Trump.
August 8 2022 Authorized the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, investigating potential mishandling of classified documents.
December 2021 In December 2021, the DOJ filed a separate suit against Texas, alleging that the state's redistricting plans discriminated against Latino and Black voters, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
December 3 2021 The DOJ, under Garland's leadership, opened an investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department to evaluate its practices related to discriminatory policing, including the use of force and accountability systems.
November 2021 In November 2021, the DOJ, led by Garland, sued Texas over Senate Bill 1, which mandated the rejection of mail ballots for 'immaterial errors and omissions,' alleging that it would restrict voting for individuals with limited English proficiency, soldiers deployed overseas, and voters living abroad.
October 2021 Merrick Garland issued a memorandum addressing an increase in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff, directing the FBI and US attorneys' offices to establish tiplines for threat reporting and discuss strategies to combat these threats.
October 21 2021 The U.S. House of Representatives voted to refer Steve Bannon to the DOJ for criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena related to the January 6 select committee's investigation. Garland stated that the DOJ would make a decision based on the facts and the law regarding the referral.
October 13 2021 The DOJ launched an investigation into five juvenile detention facilities in Texas for systemic physical or sexual abuse of children.
September 2021 Garland's DOJ issued a memo restricting the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints by federal officers and limiting the practice of no-knock entries during warrant executions.
September 2021 The DOJ issued a memo limiting the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints by federal officers, prohibiting such tactics unless deadly force is authorized, and restricting unannounced ('no-knock') entries when executing warrants.
September 14 2021 The DOJ announced a civil investigation into Georgia prisons under Garland's direction, focusing on violence and sexual abuse against LGBTQ prisoners.
August 2021 Garland opened an investigation into the Phoenix Police Department regarding their policies for dealing with the homeless.
July 2021 In July 2021, the Justice Department, under Garland's leadership, released two guidance documents regarding election law changes and post-election audits, reminding states of the DOJ's active monitoring of compliance with federal election and civil rights laws.
July 28 2021 The DOJ rejected a request from Representative Mo Brooks for protection in a civil lawsuit related to the January 6 attack, determining that his relevant comments and actions were outside his official congressional duties.
July 26 2021 The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent letters to former DOJ officials from the Trump administration, indicating that they were free to provide unrestricted testimony regarding Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 Capitol attack.
July 1 2021 Merrick Garland imposed a moratorium on all federal executions pending a review of relevant policies and procedures related to capital punishment.
June 2021 In June 2021, Merrick Garland pledged to double the department's enforcement staff for protecting the right to vote in response to Republican Party efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election. The same month, he announced a DOJ lawsuit against the state of Georgia over its newly passed restrictions on voting, claiming the state targeted Black Americans in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
June 2021 Garland's DOJ issued a memo reversing a Trump-era policy banning federal officers from using body-worn cameras, mandating their use during certain law enforcement actions.
June 7 2021 Merrick Garland was involved in the DOJ's defense of a defamation lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll, asserting that President Trump could not be sued for denying her allegation of rape made in his presidential capacity.
May 2021 The Department of Justice, led by Merrick Garland, partially appealed a ruling by Judge Amy Berman Jackson to make public a DOJ memo concerning former Attorney General Bill Barr's legal rationale regarding President Trump.
April 2021 Russia imposed sanctions against Merrick Garland, prohibiting him from entering Russia, in retaliation for the U.S. expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats due to various geopolitical tensions.
April 26 2021 Garland announced a pattern-and-practice investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department following the killing of Breonna Taylor, specifically examining the execution of search warrants.
April 21 2021 Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the opening of a pattern-and-practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department after Derek Chauvin's conviction for the murder of George Floyd, focusing on the use of force, discriminatory conduct, and accountability systems.
March 11 2021 Merrick Garland retired from federal judicial service to accept his appointment as the Attorney General of the United States.
March 11 2021 Merrick Garland was sworn in as attorney general by Assistant Attorney General for Administration Lee Lofthus.
March 10 2021 Confirmed by the Senate as Attorney General, becoming the first Jewish Attorney General in U.S. history
March 10 2021 The Senate confirmed Merrick Garland's nomination as attorney general by a vote of 70–30.
January 2021 Began serving as Attorney General, focusing on restoring the Department of Justice's independence and addressing significant legal challenges facing the nation.
January 20 2021 Merrick Garland was confirmed as the Attorney General of the United States, serving in the Biden administration after his previous nomination to the Supreme Court was blocked in 2016.
January 20 2021 Merrick Garland was formally nominated by President Biden for the position of United States attorney general.
January 6 2021 President-elect Joe Biden selected Merrick Garland for the position of United States attorney general, with the news of the selection being announced.
October 26 2020 Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court by the Senate, eight days before the 2020 presidential election.
September 26 2020 President Trump announced the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
July 2020 Justice Elena Kagan hired Jessica Garland, Merrick Garland's daughter, as one of her law clerks to serve in the 2022–2023 term.
February 11 2020 Merrick Garland's seven-year term as chief judge ended, with Judge Sri Srinivasan succeeding him.
June 2018 Merrick Garland participated in the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Rebecca, to Xan Tanner.
April 2017 By the first week of April 2017, the Supreme Court continued to show reluctance in accepting new cases due to the persistent justice vacancy.
April 7 2017 The Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court.
January 31 2017 President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Antonin Scalia's death.
January 3 2017 Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court expired at the end of the 114th Congress after 293 days without a Senate hearing or vote.
November 17 2016 U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras dismisses the lawsuit seeking to force a vote on Garland's nomination, finding the plaintiff lacks legal standing.
August 2016 Steve Michel, a New Mexico lawyer, files a federal lawsuit attempting to compel Senate Republicans to vote on Garland's nomination.

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