Search and Seizure

March 2, 2026

Iran’s Temporary Council Assumes Leadership After Khamenei’s Death—What Comes Next?

After the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Tehran, a temporary council has taken over the leadership of the nation. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said March 1 that the new leadership council “has begun its work.” U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the people of Iran to rise up against the regime, explicitly tying U.S. interests in the region to regime change and preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. The commission taking over control of the nation in the midst of its war against two global superpowers is a short-term stopgap. Ultimately, a new leader will be selected by clerics within the state’s theocratic constitution.

To see complete March 1,2026 Epoch News article, Iran’s Temporary Council Assumes Leadership After Khamenei’s Death—What Comes Next?, Click here.

February 25, 2026

Overview of Two VERDICT Columns by Marci A. Hamilton on the Epstein Files*

by David Badertscher

Two recent opinion columns published on Justia Verdict – Legal Analysis and Commentary from Justia examine the legal, political, and moral implications of the continuing disclosures surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein investigations. Written by Professor Marci A. Hamilton of the University of Pennsylvania and founder of CHILD USA, the essays present a forceful argument that accountability for systemic abuse requires sustained legal pressure and public transparency. The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the official position of Justia.

1. “The Three Avenues to Justice in the Epstein Cases” (Feb. 24, 2026)

In The Three Avenues to Justice in the Epstein Cases, Professor Hamilton argues that meaningful accountability is likely to emerge through three principal legal pathways rather than through federal prosecutorial initiative alone.

January 9, 2026

How the U.S. Captured Nicolas Maduro: A Rapid, High Stakes Operation

by David Badertscher

Condensed from **“How the US Operation to Capture Maduro Unfolded” by Ryan Morgan, The Epoch Times (Jan. 3, 2026).

Late on January 2, 2026, President Donald Trump ordered a carefully planned U.S. special operations mission to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Within five hours, U.S. forces had landed, overcome resistance, and exited Venezuelan airspace with Maduro and his wife in custody , all without any reported American casualties.

The mission, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, reflected months of preparation. Prior to the raid, the U.S. had built up military assets in the region , including warships, aircraft, and Marines , and repeatedly tightened pressure on Maduro through strikes on drug-related targets and a naval blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers.

January 4, 2026

Search and Seizure Beyond Borders: Limits in Territorial Law Enforcement

by David Badertscher

Introduction

Territorial search and seizure lies at the intersection of constitutional law, international law, and foreign relations. While domestic legal systems generally define clear rules governing when and how governments may search persons, property, or data, those rules become more complex, and often contested, when enforcement activities cross national borders. In an era marked by transnational crime, cyber intrusion, terrorism, and global data flows, the traditional notion that a state’s law enforcement authority stops at its borders has been steadily eroded, even as the principle of territorial sovereignty remains central to international law.

This post examines territorial search and seizure as it relates to international affairs, focusing on the tension between state sovereignty, constitutional protections, and the practical demands of global security and law enforcement.