Tag: State courts
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Rhode Island closes courts to non-emergency matters through May 17
On April 8, 2020, the Rhode Island state judiciary ordered that all courts would close to non-emergency matters through May 17, due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic. The order also extends to eviction proceedings, and precludes new filings or hearings from being heard before May 17. Ballotpedia is tracking how state courts are responding to…
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Alaska Supreme Court Justice Craig Stowers announces early retirement, anticipates wave of mandatory retirements
Thirty-two states have constitutionally mandated retirement ages for state supreme court justices. Twenty of those states mandate retirement at 70 years of age. Alaska is one of them, and four of the five justices on the Alaska Supreme Court will be required to retire between February 2023 and February 2025. Regarding the upcoming turnover of…
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Kemp appoints superior court judge to Georgia Court of Appeals
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) appointed Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin to serve on the Georgia Court of Appeals on March 26. Colvin was one of two judges recently appointed to fill vacancies on the appeals court. The other vacancy was created when Carla McMillian was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court. Gov. Nathan Deal…
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Wisconsin Supreme Court enjoins governor’s order postponing the election, allowing voting to continue as scheduled April 7
On April 6, 2020, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court voted 4-2 to enjoin an executive order issued earlier in the day by Governor Tony Evers (D) postponing in-person voting in the spring election, scheduled for April 7, 2020, to June 9, 2020. As a result, in-person voting is expected to take place as scheduled on…
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Former State Rep. McCoy appointed as U.S. attorney for South Carolina
U.S. Attorney General William Barr appointed South Carolina Rep. Peter McCoy (R) as the interim United States attorney for the District of South Carolina on March 30. McCoy resigned from the state House of Representatives that day to be sworn in to the position. Pres. Donald Trump (R) nominated McCoy to a permanent U.S. attorney…
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Candidate filing period for state and local races to end in Arizona, North Dakota, and Oklahoma
The major-party filing deadlines to run for state elected office in three states are coming up in the next week. Arizona’s and North Dakota’s filing deadlines are on April 6, and Oklahoma’s filing deadline is on April 10. In Arizona, prospective candidates may file for the following state offices: Corporation Commission (3 seats) State Senate…
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Ten states have ordered the release of some inmates in response to the coronavirus
Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America’s political and civic life. Our coverage includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and the effects those responses are having on campaigns and elections. As of April 1, 10 states have ordered the release of inmates at the state…
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Georgia governor appoints first supreme court justice
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) appointed Judge Carla McMillian to the Georgia Supreme Court on March 27, 2020. McMillian succeeded Justice Robert Benham, who retired on March 1. McMillian is Gov. Kemp’s first nominee to the nine-member supreme court. McMillian was a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2013 to 2020. She was…
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Arizona Supreme Court suspends certain time requirements in response to COVID-19
The Administrative Office of the Arizona Supreme Court issued a directive on Tuesday, March 24th, extending time limits for court-related deadlines. Administrative Director of the Courts David K. Byers issued Administrative Directive No. 2020-03 as a response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Chief Justice Robert Brutinel gave Byers the authority to suspend or alter time limits…
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Maryland Senate passes Maryland Renaming Court of Appeals Amendment
Maryland and New York are the only states in the nation that do not call its court of last resort the supreme court, but that could change after November 3, 2020. On March 13, 2020, the Maryland Senate passed Senate Bill 0393 by a vote of 45-1. If the bill is passed by the General…