Author: Samuel Postell
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Illinois Supreme Court decides case allowing suspended police officers to seek backpay
On October 22, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court decided Goral v. Dart, a case on police officers’ right to due process to claim backpay. The case concerned a decision regarding the legitimacy of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s Merit Board. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s decision which determined that officers suspended without…
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Texas Gov. Abbott appoints Rebeca Huddle to replace Justice Paul Green on state supreme court
On October 15, 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed Rebeca Huddle to replace Justice Paul Green on the Texas Supreme Court. Justice Green announced his retirement from the Texas Supreme Court in August 2020. Huddle is a Republican who served as a justice on Texas’ First District Court of Appeals. She graduated from Stanford University…
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Washington State Supreme Court overrules recall petition against Seattle mayor
On October 8, 2020, the Washington State Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling which allowed a recall effort against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D). The supreme court’s unanimous order read, “The allegations in this case are deeply troubling and our review requires that we treat the factual allegations as true. Nevertheless, after carefully considering…
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Whitener, Serns compete in Washington State Supreme Court election
Incumbent G. Helen Whitener and Richard Serns are running in the special general election for Washington State Supreme Court Position 6 on November 3, 2020. Whitener was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee (D) on April 13, 2020, following Justice Charles K. Wiggins’ retirement. Whitener was previously a judge on the Pierce County Superior Court, on…
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Former Ohio secretary of state challenges Justice Judith French for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court
Incumbent Judith French and Jennifer L. Brunner are running in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020. Justice French was appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court by Gov. John Kasich (R). She assumed office on January 1, 2013. She advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28,…
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Fabiana Pierre-Louis confirmed to state Supreme Court by New Jersey Senate
On August 26, 2020, Justice Walter Timpone announced that he planned to retire early from the New Jersey Supreme Court if supreme court nominee Fabiana Pierre-Louis was confirmed by the Senate before September. On August 27, 2020, the New Jersey Senate voted 39-0 to approve Pierre-Louis. Pierre-Louis is Governor Phil Murphy’s (D) first nominee to…
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New Mexico Supreme Court rules Governor Lujan Grisham may fine businesses for violating public health orders
On August 4, 2020, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the governor may legally fine businesses that violate the New Mexico Public Health Emergency Response Act. The case came to the supreme court after several businesses filed suit in the 9th Judicial District in Curry County. The state Republican Party helped organize the…
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United States Supreme Court to decide Carney v. Adams in October 2020
On July 13, 2020, the United States Supreme Court released its calendar for the October 2020 session. The first case that the Supreme Court will hear is Carney v. Adams, a case from Delaware that challenges Article IV, Section 3 of the Delaware Constitution which mandates partisan balance on the state supreme court. Article IV,…
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Illinois Supreme Court rules that police misconduct records cannot be destroyed, contrary to collective bargaining agreement
On June 18, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the need to keep police misconduct records outweighs a section in the collective bargaining agreement between the city of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). At issue was Section 8.4 of the collective bargaining agreement, the Local Records Act, and the Freedom…
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New Mexico Supreme Court rules in cases involving police uniforms and vehicle markings
On June 11, 2020, the New Mexico Supreme Court consolidated two cases and clarified requirements for marks of identification for police officers in aggravated fleeing cases. New Mexico law considers aggravated fleeing a fourth-degree felony. The law describes aggravated fleeing as “a person willfully and carelessly driving his vehicle in a manner that endangers the…