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Federal Overreach Crushed: Judges Rebuke Labor Department in Stunning Win for Family Farm and the Constitution

  • phantom8091
  • Aug 3
  • 3 min read
By Greg Piper | Adapted for SACFLA.org A New Jersey family farm destroyed by a blizzard of red tape and bureaucratic abuse has finally tasted justice—not from Washington’s entrenched administrative state, but from real Article III courts upholding the Constitution. In a unanimous ruling, a federal appeals court stripped the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) of its ability to impose civil penalties through its in-house “courts,” siding with Sun Valley Orchards, a now-closed family farm penalized over what was largely a “single paperwork violation.” A Wake-Up Call to the Bureaucracy This ruling is not a one-off. It’s the latest devastating blow to the unchecked power of federal agencies that have long acted as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Rooted in the Supreme Court’s June 2024 Jarkesy decision, this case reaffirms what conservatives have warned for decades: Regulatory agencies cannot act as a parallel justice system. This is a major step toward dismantling the administrative state's unconstitutional stranglehold on Americans—particularly small business owners, farmers, and gun owners who often find themselves targeted for political or regulatory reasons. What Happened to Sun Valley Orchards? • In 2021, Sun Valley Orchards filed suit after five years of futile internal appeals within the Department of Labor. • The farm faced $550,000 in fines, mostly over alleged infractions related to the H-2A guest worker visa program. • Among the “violations”? Technicalities buried in the paperwork—not abuse or exploitation, but bureaucratic missteps. • Weighed down by fines, bad weather, falling prices, and COVID-era disruptions, the family closed its doors by the end of 2021. What the 3rd Circuit Court Ruled In a ruling authored by Judge Thomas Hardiman, a Bush appointee, the court concluded: • Labor Department actions violated the Seventh Amendment, which guarantees jury trials in civil cases. • The case was not about "public rights" (as DOL claimed), but about contractual obligations under employment law, normally handled in real courts—not administrative tribunals. • The court mocked DOL’s argument that Sun Valley could have raised its federal court rights earlier: The agency told them not to. The ruling orders the lower court to reverse the penalties and side with the farm. Broader Impact: A Blow to Biden’s Bureaucratic Machine This is just one domino in a chain reaction that threatens the very foundation of how federal agencies operate: • In April 2024, the FCC’s $57 million fine against AT&T was thrown out on similar grounds. • The SEC, NLRB, DOJ, and even the Department of Labor now face growing scrutiny for using quasi-courts to bypass real judicial review. • Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and conservative publishers like The Federalist have joined the legal resistance, challenging agency overreach. The message is clear: You can’t destroy lives with kangaroo courts and expect to get away with it anymore. Real Americans, Real Consequences Sun Valley co-owner Joe Marino said it best: “We’ve been dragged through the mud, and it seemed impossible to fight back.” But thanks to organizations like the Institute for Justice and a constitutionally faithful federal judiciary, the tide is turning. This case isn’t just about a farm. It’s about every American’s right to due process, to challenge their accuser in a real court, and to stand tall against an unaccountable administrative leviathan. Why This Matters for 2A Supporters The implications of this case ripple far beyond agriculture: • Gun owners, firearms dealers, and manufacturers are frequently targeted by the ATF and other federal agencies using similar in-house “justice” systems. • With the Supreme Court's Jarkesy and Loper Bright decisions, it’s now far more difficult for agencies to weaponize regulations against Americans without full judicial review. • This decision could bolster legal challenges against ATF actions on bump stocks, forced reset triggers, and pistol braces—many of which relied on regulatory fiat, not congressional lawmaking or jury trials. The Bottom Line This isn’t just a win for a farm. It’s a win for every American who believes in due process, the Constitution, and limited government. The era of bureaucratic tyranny is crumbling. But vigilance is required.

By Greg Piper | Adapted for SACFLA.org

A New Jersey family farm destroyed by a blizzard of red tape and bureaucratic abuse has finally tasted justice—not from Washington’s entrenched administrative state, but from real Article III courts upholding the Constitution.

In a unanimous ruling, a federal appeals court stripped the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) of its ability to impose civil penalties through its in-house “courts,” siding with Sun Valley Orchards, a now-closed family farm penalized over what was largely a “single paperwork violation.”

A Wake-Up Call to the Bureaucracy

This ruling is not a one-off. It’s the latest devastating blow to the unchecked power of federal agencies that have long acted as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Rooted in the Supreme Court’s June 2024 Jarkesy decision, this case reaffirms what conservatives have warned for decades:

Regulatory agencies cannot act as a parallel justice system.

This is a major step toward dismantling the administrative state's unconstitutional stranglehold on Americans—particularly small business owners, farmers, and gun owners who often find themselves targeted for political or regulatory reasons.

What Happened to Sun Valley Orchards?

  • In 2021, Sun Valley Orchards filed suit after five years of futile internal appeals within the Department of Labor.

  • The farm faced $550,000 in fines, mostly over alleged infractions related to the H-2A guest worker visa program.

  • Among the “violations”? Technicalities buried in the paperwork—not abuse or exploitation, but bureaucratic missteps.

  • Weighed down by fines, bad weather, falling prices, and COVID-era disruptions, the family closed its doors by the end of 2021.

What the 3rd Circuit Court Ruled

In a ruling authored by Judge Thomas Hardiman, a Bush appointee, the court concluded:

  • Labor Department actions violated the Seventh Amendment, which guarantees jury trials in civil cases.

  • The case was not about "public rights" (as DOL claimed), but about contractual obligations under employment law, normally handled in real courts—not administrative tribunals.

  • The court mocked DOL’s argument that Sun Valley could have raised its federal court rights earlier: The agency told them not to.

The ruling orders the lower court to reverse the penalties and side with the farm.

Broader Impact: A Blow to Biden’s Bureaucratic Machine

This is just one domino in a chain reaction that threatens the very foundation of how federal agencies operate:

  • In April 2024, the FCC’s $57 million fine against AT&T was thrown out on similar grounds.

  • The SEC, NLRB, DOJ, and even the Department of Labor now face growing scrutiny for using quasi-courts to bypass real judicial review.

  • Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and conservative publishers like The Federalist have joined the legal resistance, challenging agency overreach.

The message is clear: You can’t destroy lives with kangaroo courts and expect to get away with it anymore.

Real Americans, Real Consequences

Sun Valley co-owner Joe Marino said it best:

“We’ve been dragged through the mud, and it seemed impossible to fight back.”

But thanks to organizations like the Institute for Justice and a constitutionally faithful federal judiciary, the tide is turning. This case isn’t just about a farm. It’s about every American’s right to due process, to challenge their accuser in a real court, and to stand tall against an unaccountable administrative leviathan.

Why This Matters for 2A Supporters

The implications of this case ripple far beyond agriculture:

  • Gun owners, firearms dealers, and manufacturers are frequently targeted by the ATF and other federal agencies using similar in-house “justice” systems.

  • With the Supreme Court's Jarkesy and Loper Bright decisions, it’s now far more difficult for agencies to weaponize regulations against Americans without full judicial review.

  • This decision could bolster legal challenges against ATF actions on bump stocks, forced reset triggers, and pistol braces—many of which relied on regulatory fiat, not congressional lawmaking or jury trials.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just a win for a farm. It’s a win for every American who believes in due process, the Constitution, and limited government.

The era of bureaucratic tyranny is crumbling. But vigilance is required.

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