AI on AI, Diddy on trial, SCOTUS on Alien Enemies Act

Plus: Swiftes stumble against Ticketmaster in "Eras Tour" lawsuit.

If you opened this for the Diddy trial, we’ll get there.

But first up is Sidebar, back this week with an episode that delves into — well, let me just ask ChatGPT to summarize:

The transcript you've linked is from the May 13, 2025 episode of Sidebar, a podcast by Courthouse News Service, titled "Electric Sheep." In this episode, host Hillel Aron and reporter Amanda Pampuro delve into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for the legal system.

The discussion centers on the challenges courts face as AI becomes increasingly integrated into various aspects of society. Topics include the legal status of AI-generated content, the accountability of AI systems in decision-making processes, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI deployment in legal contexts. The episode also touches on the broader question of how existing legal frameworks can adapt to address the complexities introduced by advanced AI technologies.

(Links added by me.) Find the ep wherever you get your podcasts.

Now for the week’s Courthouse News.

Here’s what else happened in court this week:

(Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Trial against entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs opened with federal prosecutors describing how his inner circle used a pattern of “lies, drugs, threats and violence” to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual rendezvous with male prostitutes while he watched and taped.

Cassie Ventura, the R&B singer and Combs’ ex-girlfriend, testified about his violent physical abuse and threats of sex tape blackmail as prosecutors showed jurors stills from videos of Combs’ now-infamous “freak-off” sex parties. Ventura finished cross-examination Friday. [Josh Russell]

• Due process: The Trump administration did not give Venezuelan detainees proper notice of or time to appeal their removal under the Alien Enemies Act, SCOTUS ruled. [Kelsey Reichmann]

• States v Trump: Twenty-three states won an injunction barring Trump from slashing more than $11 billion in public health funding. And a dozen states sued Trump for withholding funding for emergency relief and transportation in retaliation, they say, for state immigration policies. [Erik Uebelacker]

• DV training: The American Bar Association won a preliminary injunction in its challenge to Trump suddenly ending grants for domestic violence legal trainings. [Ryan Knappenberger]

• Google split: The FTC backed the DOJ’s proposal to make Google sell off its Chrome browser and potentially Android. [Ryan Knappenberger]

• Limits: The Fourth Circuit upheld a firearms ban for domestic violence offenders. [Joe Dodson]

• Withheld: An EU court said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen violated transparency laws by not turning over texts with Pfizer’s chief while negotiating a $39 billion Covid-19 vaccine contract. [Cain Burdeau]

• Girl boss: At trial over a Bay Area startup/“sex cult” that espoused women’s empowerment, ex-employees say bosses ordered them to sexually service wealthy men and have sex with male employees. [Nina Pullano]

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  A Florida law that would have banned minors from attending drag shows is “substantially overbroad” and likely unconstitutional, a divided 11th Circuit panel ruled. [Kayla Goggin]

  

  Drag performer Velvet LeNore joins dancers on stage during the gala at the Florida Democratic Party's Annual Leadership Blue Weekend at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach, Fla., Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP)

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Top 8: What you’ve been reading

1. Supreme Court confronts Trump power grab

2. Judge likely to block Trump plan to fire thousands, citing constitutional overreach

3. Jury in Diddy trial sees frames of videos from ‘freak off’ sex parties

4. Feds insist Second Amendment doesn’t protect machine guns

5. Judge threatens DOJ with contempt over silence in Abrego Garcia deportation case

6. Jury hears ‘freak off’ details to open Diddy sex trafficking trial

7. Sewage hits the fan in Oregon eviction fight

8. Virginia governor ripped over voting restoration process for felons

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Swifties seeking to hold Live Nation Entertainment liable for the botched sale of tickets for the 2023 "The Eras Tour" suffered a setback as a federal judge tentatively threw out their breach of contract, fraud and other claims. [Edvard Pettersson]

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Rulings on our radar 📡

» Southern District of New York: Rikers Island will be placed under the control of an independent receiver.

» Northern District of Illinois: Posts in “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” Facebook groups did not defame a plaintiff since they expressed subjective views that he “flaunted money very awkwardly” and “was very clingy very fast.”

» Northern District of California: Mark Zuckerberg must sit for a deposition in a lawsuit over the use of the Meta Pixel tracking technology on health care websites.

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