Tag: State courts
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Maryland courts set tentative reopen date
On May 7, Chief Justice for the Maryland Court of Appeals Ellen Barbera announced that courts in the state could begin to reopen on June 8. Barbera told lawmakers during a Maryland State Senate hearing, per an article from, “Even if that day holds, I can assure you, this does not mean that Monday, June…
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Nebraska’s primaries to conclude May 12
The statewide primary for Nebraska is on May 12, 2020. In reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, every eligible voter received an absentee ballot application by mail. In-person locations are expected to remain open as planned. The filing deadline to run passed on March 2. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: U.S. Senate…
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Chair of Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee seeks appointment to she state Supreme Court
On April 28, 2020, State Senator Erin Lynch Prata (D-RI), applied to fill retiring Justice Gilbert Indeglia’s seat on the state supreme court. Senator Lynch Prata is a former clerk to Supreme Court Associate Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg. She stated that becoming a supreme court justice “has always been a dream,” and that the position on…
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Supreme Court of Florida delays jury trials through July 2
On May 4, 2020, Charles Canady, the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, issued a new emergency order extending the suspension of jury trials through July 2. The order also increases the number of proceedings that will be conducted remotely. The list includes non-jury trials, hearings in juvenile delinquency cases, and pretrial conferences. For…
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Ducey appoints four judges to Arizona Court of Appeals and Maricopa County Superior Court
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) made four judicial appointments on April 24, becoming the governor who has made the most judicial appointments in state history. Ducey has appointed 71 judges since taking office, overtaking the previous record of 68 appointments made by former Gov. Bruce Babbitt (D). Babbitt held office from 1978 to 1987. Ducey…
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One Missouri Supreme Court justice faces retention election in November
Missouri Supreme Court Justice Patricia Breckenridge will face a retention election on November 3, 2020. She is the only member of the court facing a retention election this year. She was originally appointed by a Republican governor in 2007 and won a retention election in 2008. Currently, two justices on the court were appointed by…
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Supreme Court of Georgia extends restrictions on in-person proceedings through June 12
On May 4, 2020, Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced that restrictions on in-person proceedings and the suspension of jury trials would be extended through June 12. Under the order, courts will be encouraged to develop plans for resuming nonessential court operations that can be conducted through video or phone conferencing…
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1 of 109 state-level incumbents defeated in Ohio’s primaries
Ohio held a statewide primary on April 28, 2020. Originally scheduled for March 17, the election was postponed amid concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. The general election is November 3, 2020. The primary was held largely by mail. As of 1 p.m. EDT on May 1, the Secretary of State’s office reported that there were…
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McNeill appointed to Kentucky’s intermediate appellate court until special election
Gov. Andy Beshear (D) appointed public defender Chris McNeill to the Kentucky Court of Appeals on April 22 to serve the remainder of former appellate judge Christopher Nickell’s term. Nickells resigned after he was appointed to the Kentucky Supreme Court in December 2019. At the time of his appointment, McNeill had already declared his candidacy…
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Andrew Yang sues New York State Board of Elections over cancelation of Democratic presidential preference primary
On April 28, 2020, Andrew Yang, a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, and several candidates for New York’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention filed suit against the New York State Board of Elections over its decision to cancel the state’s Democratic presidential preference primary. The suit was filed in the United States…