Bill Blum

Bill Blum

Bill Blum is a former administrative law judge and death penalty defense attorney. He is the author of three legal thrillers published by Penguin/Putnam and a contributing writer for California Lawyer Magazine. His non-fiction work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, ranging from The Nation and The Progressive to the Los Angeles Times, the L.A. Weekly and Los Angeles Magazine.

Articles by this author

A woman protests outside the Hennepin County Government Center, where the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is being held, on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo: KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images) Views
Thursday, April 15, 2021
What We Can Learn from the Derek Chauvin Trial
Every lawsuit tells a story. Some are only about the immediate parties and participants. Others present "big pictures" about our basic institutions, our political and moral values, and, for better or worse, our concepts of justice. Black men are nearly three times as likely to die from police use...
Read more
Given the growing sense of shame and disaffection in the ranks of the GOP, Trump should expect a full Senate trial in his second impeachment, in sharp contrast to the perfunctory acquittal he received in his first impeachment. (Photo: Library of Congress) Views
Monday, January 11, 2021
25th Amendment or Impeachment? The Answer: Both
While there are not many days left in his presidency, Donald Trump remains an unparalleled menace to democracy. He must be removed from power and brought to justice as soon as possible. Each day we delay, we run the risk of catastrophe. With news that Articles of Impeachment will be introduced into...
Read more
Justice Samuel Alito with President George W. Bush. (Photo via Creative Commons) Views
Friday, November 20, 2020
Unequal Justice: The Treachery of Samuel Alito
I’ve changed my vote. No, not that vote. I’ve changed my vote for the most reactionary and dangerous member of the U.S. Supreme Court. The distinction no longer belongs to Clarence Thomas. Nor should it be reserved for any of the three conservatives appointed by President Donald Trump—Neil Gorsuch...
Read more
Amy Coney Barrett and Donald Trump. (Photo: Creative Commons) Views
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Confirmation Hearings Exposed Barrett as a Hardcore Rightwing Activist
he confirmation hearing of Amy Coney Barrett is over. All that remains now is the final vote on her nomination, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has scheduled for the week of October 26. Barrett’s full embrace of originalism is bad enough. But when compounded...
Read more
Beyond conspiracy and extortion and bribery in relation to Zelensky, Kirschner argues, Trump should be investigated for a bevy of other felonies. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) Views
Tuesday, October 06, 2020
Trump: Will We Ever Lock Him Up?
Apart from the somewhat comical 1872 arrest of President Ulysses S. Grant by a District of Columbia police officer for driving his carriage through the streets of Georgetown at an excessive speed, no American President has ever been charged with committing a crime. Grant was taken to a local police...
Read more
In July 2018, a protest broke out outside the U.S. Supreme Court after President Donald Trump announced his nominee to replace outgoing Justice Anthony Kennedy. Views
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Unequal Justice: Trump's Supreme Takeover
Update: Since the publication of this column, tragedy has struck: Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on the evening of September 18 from complications of pancreatic cancer. RBG was a champion not only of women's rights, but of civil liberties and equal protection for all Americans. Her death leaves a...
Read more
Views
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Unequal Justice: Trump Isn't Above the Law, But Taxes May Stay Hidden
With echoes of Watergate and explicit references to the 1807 treason trial of Aaron Burr, the U.S. Supreme Court has wrapped up another term with a pair of landmark decisions on presidential power. The two cases concern President Donald Trump’s attempt to block subpoenas issued by Congress and a...
Read more
Views
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Will Trump Be Held Accountable for the Blood on His Hands?
As a general principle, we try to hold our public officials liable for acts of gross negligence and reckless disregard for human life. So, what about Donald Trump? Could he one day be held liable, either civilly or criminally, for the deaths of thousands of Americans who have succumbed to the...
Read more
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus response while flanked by Vice President Mike Pence during a briefing with health insurers at the White House on March 10, 2020. Views
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Unequal Justice: Where Are Impeachment and the 25th Amendment When We Need Them?
On March 13, in the midst of a deadly pandemic, President Donald Trump was asked if he took responsibility for the nation's lack of preparedness. His reply : "I don't take responsibility at all." Where are impeachment and the Twenty-Fifth Amendment—the two mechanisms provided by the Constitution...
Read more
while the attacks on Sanders contributed to his defeat in 2016, they proved less effective than the red-baiting of old. Views
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
The Despicable (and Very Predictable) Red-Baiting of Bernie Sanders
The red-baiting of Bernie Sanders sank to a new low during the Democratic debate in Las Vegas last week, courtesy of mega-billionaire Mike Bloomberg. Responding to the Vermont senator’s charge that Bloomberg’s employees were at least partly responsible for his business success, the former...
Read more

Pages