&Quot;Supreme Court&Quot;

Was Donald Trump required to report to New York City probation services immediately after his conviction on May 30, 2024, and did he fail to do that? No, that's not true: There was no mandate for the former president to go straight to the NYC Probation Department. Transcripts show Judge Juan M. Merchan informed Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, in the…

Did Judge Juan M. Merchan tell jurors in the Donald Trump hush-money trial that they didn't have to reach a unanimous verdict? No, that's not true: The transcript of his instructions to the jury shows that Merchan said, "Your verdict, on each count you consider, whether guilty or not guilty, must be unanimous." Two law school faculty members rejected the…

Did the Democratic Party propose to change the U.S. flag to "make it more inclusive," as of early May 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence on the party's official platform website or social media channels, or in news coverage that the party had announced such intentions. A Google News search found no credible documents or reporting…

Did 46 of 50 states recount their votes from the 2020 election and confirm that Joe Biden lost the vote in their state? No, that's not true: There were four states that conducted recounts or had legal challenges of the 2020 presidential election results, and none overturned the results that Biden won the presidential election against Donald Trump in 2020.…

Did the U.S. military arrest a "fourth" Colorado Supreme Court justice who voted in favor of removing former President Donald Trump from the ballot in the state for the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: This claim appears in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. Lead Stories previously debunked claims from the same site about…

Will Washington state remove its bar exam without offering any other requirements for law licensure? No, that's not true: Although aspiring attorneys will not be required to take the bar exam, alternative methods are now being offered. Plus, taking the bar exam is still an option. The claim was implied in a post (archived here) on Instagram on March 18,…

Did the U.S. Judge Advocate General's Corps arrest a "third" Colorado Supreme Court justice who voted in favor of removing former President Donald Trump from the ballot in the state for the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: This claim appears in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. Lead Stories previously debunked claims about two…

Did the Indiana Department of Child Services remove a child from their home because the parents refused to call them by their preferred pronouns, as a social media post suggests? No, that's not true: The complex situation outlined in Indiana court documents state that the child's removal from the home was not based on the fact that the parents did…

Does video footage show Donald Trump shoving a man at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort the former president calls home? No, that's not true: Another video of the incident makes clear it was a friendly pat. Additionally, the man who was allegedly "shoved" by Trump debunked the claim, writing "[H]e patted me on the back and walked away." The claim was…

Does a viral social media post show an authentic memo confirming that then-IRS Commissioner Roscoe Egger instructed his subordinates in 1985 that "every tax paid into the Treasury since 1913, is due and refundable to every citizen and business"? No, that's not true: Both the IRS and the defense attorney whose case was cited in the memo agreed in the…