7th Circuit upholds voter ID in opinion that is ‘vintage Judge Easterbrook’: what will SCOTUS do?

A federal appeals court decision on Monday upholding Wisconsin’s voter ID law came as no surprise. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month allowed the law to take effect as it considered a challenge. As a result, the opinion on Monday was expected, report the Associated Press,…

Oct 7, 2014 10:36 AM CDT

Appeals judge sues over Texas voter ID law, says it is ‘completely legally unconstitutional’

A judge on Texas’ highest criminal appeals court has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s voter ID law. Judge Lawrence “Larry” Meyers of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals alleges the Texas Legislature had no power to enact the law under the state constitution, the Texas Tribune reports. State lawmakers…

Oct 6, 2014 11:18 AM CDT

Is voter-created redistricting commission constitutional? SCOTUS will consider the issue

Arizona voters’ quest to take partisanship out of redistricting will be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court accepted the appeal on Thursday in a case that contends a voter-created commission tasked with redrawing congressional boundaries violates the elections clause, report the Washington Post, the New York Times, SCOTUSblog,…

Oct 3, 2014 11:21 AM CDT

SCOTUS to consider ethics rule banning judicial candidates from soliciting contributions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to decide the constitutionality of a Florida judicial conduct rule that bars judicial candidates from personally soliciting campaign contributions. At issue is whether the ban violates the First Amendment, report the Washington Post and the New York Times. Federal appeals courts have split…

Oct 3, 2014 7:28 AM CDT

Divided appellate court strikes part of North Carolina’s controversial voting law

An appellate court has thrown out part of North Carolina’s controversial voting law. According to the Charlotte Observer, a divided three judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit kept most of the provisions in the state’s electoral law intact, but issued a temporary order allowing…

Oct 2, 2014 11:56 AM CDT

SCOTUS blocks early voting scheduled in Ohio for today; ACLU official predicts confusion

Polls won’t be open today in Ohio after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday stayed lower court rulings that restored early voting in the state. The Supreme Court approved the stay in a 5-4 order, report the New York Times, the Washington Post, SCOTUSblog and the Columbus Dispatch. Justices Ruth…

Sep 30, 2014 10:11 AM CDT

Judge suddenly resigns, takes plea in federal corruption case

Updated: A Philadelphia judge suddenly resigned on Tuesday, then took a plea in federal court on Wednesday to corruption charges unsealed earlier in the day. The criminal information charged now-former municipal court judge Joseph Waters Jr. with mail fraud, honest services wire fraud and aiding and abetting. He pleaded guilty…

Sep 24, 2014 3:00 PM CDT

Asked to order Democrats to pick new US Senate candidate, top Kansas court sends case to trial judge

The Kansas Supreme Court agreed to hear on an emergency basis a lawyer’s case seeking a writ of mandamus to get his name off the November ballot as a candidate for the U.S. Senate. It ruled last week that Chad Taylor had filed appropriate paperwork invoking a state statutory mandate…

Sep 24, 2014 9:55 AM CDT

Top state court tells official to take lawyer’s name off US Senate ballot

Granting a writ of mandamus filed by an attorney who withdrew as a candidate for the U.S. Senate after winning the Democratic primary, the Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday told the secretary of state to remove Chad Taylor’s name from the November ballot. Although Taylor did not expressly state in…

Sep 22, 2014 10:20 AM CDT

Six Montana justices file amicus brief defending ban on acceptance of partisan endorsements

All but one of Montana’s Supreme Court justices have filed an amicus brief defending a rule that bars judicial candidates from seeking or accepting partisan endorsements. Six justices filed the brief (PDF) in Montana federal court in a suit filed by a candidate for justice of the peace, the Helena…

Sep 16, 2014 7:16 AM CDT

Lawyer who dropped out of US Senate race sues to get his name removed from ballot

Corrected: Commonly, when a lawsuit is filed to get a candidate’s name off an election ballot, it’s filed by an opponent in the race. But it’s former U.S. Senate candidate Chad Taylor himself who’s filed a petition with the Kansas state supreme court seeking to remove his name from the…

Sep 9, 2014 5:45 PM CDT

Does national voter form have to include states’ citizenship requirement? 10th Circuit to decide

Do national voter registration forms have to include proof of citizenship requirements imposed by Arizona and Kansas? That’s the issue that will be argued on Monday before the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals. The New York Times, the Wichita Eagle and the Associated Press have stories on the…

Aug 25, 2014 2:21 PM CDT

Ginsburg: Ferguson turmoil illustrates ‘real racial problem’ in America

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says there is a “real racial problem” in America and recent Supreme Court decisions are doing little to help. In an interview with the National Law Journal (sub. req.), Ginsburg said the turmoil in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy illustrate the problems.…

Aug 25, 2014 12:36 PM CDT

Preserve election process in emergencies, ensure voting rights of disabled, ABA House measures say

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted a policy urging states, localities and territories to develop written contingency plans to preserve the election process in the event of an emergency. Resolution 113A (PDF) says such plans should include at a minimum: alternative locations and times for conducting elections; backup and…

Aug 11, 2014 10:06 PM CDT

ABA initiatives have made a difference from small communities to Capitol Hill

Aug 1, 2014 10:09 AM CDT