Election Law

Texas S.C. Justice Broke Ethics Law, Fined $29K

Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht was fined $29,000 today after the Texas Ethics Commission determined he broke campaign finance laws by accepting, then failing to report what amounted to an excessive political contribution from a law firm. At issue were legal fees Hecht owed Jackson Walker, which successfully mounted…

Dec 4, 2008 11:04 PM CST

Biker Rally Plea for Cash Violated Judicial Ethics Rules, Board Finds

A Philadelphia traffic judge who sought campaign donations at a motorcycle club rally violated ethics rules by implying the cash would buy favorable treatment, an ethics board has found. Judge Willie Singletary passed the hat during the “blessing of the bikes,” the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The opinion by the…

Dec 3, 2008 7:26 PM CST

Thai Court Orders Ouster of Prime Minister Due to Vote Fraud

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ordered the ouster of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat because of electoral fraud in voting last December. The ruling comes amid protests over voting irregularities that had shut down the country’s airports, the Washington Post reports. The court dissolved Thailand’s top three political parties, including Somchai’s party,…

Dec 2, 2008 11:42 AM CST

Lawyers’ Ethics Complaint Claims Judge’s Campaign Ad Implied Bribery

Lawyers have filed an ethics complaint against a newly elected Florida judge that contends her campaign ad implied they were trying to bribe her opponent. Seven lawyers have filed complaints against incoming Judge Michelle Baker of Brevard County with the Judicial Qualifications Commission and the Florida Bar, Florida Today reports.…

Nov 24, 2008 4:48 PM CST

Utah Federal Judge’s $300 Obama Donation Won’t Lead to Sanction

The chief federal judge for Utah won’t face a misconduct complaint for donating $300 to the election campaign of Barack Obama. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell has apologized and agreed not to make any more donations. Because of those actions, the chief judge of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court…

Nov 20, 2008 6:39 PM CST

Supreme Court to Decide Whether Anti-Clinton Movie is Campaign Ad

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a movie that criticizes Sen. Hillary Clinton is a campaign ad that is subject to campaign finance regulations. The court will consider whether the makers of Hillary: The Movie have to reveal the names of donors to the project and whether…

Nov 17, 2008 4:53 PM CST

Election Over, Now It’s Time to Sue

After months of hard-hitting campaign advertising in many elections throughout the country, candidates now have time to focus on a new project. Whether they won or lost, a number are now suing political opponents for defamation, reports the National Law Journal in an article reprinted in New York Lawyer (reg.…

Nov 7, 2008 9:32 PM CST

ABA President Decries Expensive Judicial Races

The home state of ABA President H. Thomas Wells Jr. was the site of this year’s most expensive judicial race, and Wells isn’t happy about it. Wells said in a press release issued today that judges in Alabama and states like it are set up to rely on campaign contributions…

Nov 6, 2008 6:52 PM CST

Only 4 Houston Judges Retained, Helped by Oddly Named Challengers

All but four judges in Houston’s Harris County lost their battle for re-election on Tuesday, replaced by Democrats in a wave of straight-ticket voting. The Democratic judges rode on the coattails of Barack Obama, but voters who backed the presidential candidate with an unusual name were not so accepting when…

Nov 6, 2008 1:32 PM CST

State Voters Ease Pot Laws, OK Affirmative Action Ban and Right to Die

The ban on gay marriages approved by California voters yesterday was one of several measures on state ballots that touched on legal issues. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog summarized several major ballot initiatives. According to the blog, voters: • Approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Arizona and Florida,…

Nov 5, 2008 7:25 PM CST

Nation’s Most Expensive State Supreme Court Race May Go to Recount

A Democrat who lost a close—and very expensive—election battle for a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court is confident she will win in an automatic recount. With 99 percent of the precincts counted, Deborah Bell Paseur narrowly lost the race to Republican criminal appeals judge Greg Shaw, who won 50.4…

Nov 5, 2008 5:36 PM CST

Michigan Chief Justice Loses in Stunning Upset

The conservative chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court has lost a battle for re-election after an ad funded by the state Democratic Party accused him of falling asleep during a case, a charge he denied. Chief Justice Clifford Taylor lost to challenger Diane Hathaway in a “stunning upset,” the…

Nov 5, 2008 4:41 PM CST

Election Law Blogger Responsible for Free Ben & Jerry’s

Election law blogger Rick Hasen of Loyola Law School is taking credit for an expanded free ice cream promotion by Ben & Jerry’s. The ice cream purveyors had originally offered free ice cream to anyone who could show they voted. Hasen pointed out on his Election Law Blog that the…

Nov 5, 2008 2:57 PM CST

Pledging to Restore Integrity, Democrats Win W. Va. High Court Seats

Voters sent two Democrats to the West Virginia Supreme Court yesterday after a controversial justice accused of vacationing with a litigant was defeated in the primary. Defeated Chief Justice Elliott “Spike” Maynard was defeated in May after photos surfaced showing him vacationing in Monte Carlo with the CEO of Massey…

Nov 5, 2008 2:14 PM CST

Gay Marriage Ban Wins in Calif., Raising Doubts on 18,000 Weddings

Updated: A proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California has passed, raising questions about the estimated 18,000 gay weddings performed in the state. The California Supreme Court had ruled 4-3 in May that gays have a constitutional right to marry. The Los Angeles Times reports that the constitutional…

Nov 5, 2008 1:13 PM CST