Tag: State courts
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Two Colorado Supreme Court justices seek retention in November
Colorado Supreme Court Justices Melissa Hart and Carlos Armando Samour Jr. are standing for retention election on November 3, 2020. Both justices were appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). Currently, six of the seven justices on the court were appointed by a Democratic governor. Of those, five were appointed by Hickenlooper. • Brian Boatright Appointed…
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One Utah Supreme Court justice seeks retention in November
Utah Supreme Court Justice John A. Pearce is standing for retention election on November 3, 2020. Pearce was appointed by former Utah Governor Gary Herbert (R). Herbert appointed four of the five justices currently sitting on the court. Gov. Michael Leavitt (R) appointed the other. The governor of Utah appoints the five justices of the…
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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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Two Wyoming Supreme Court justices seek retention in November
Wyoming Supreme Court Justices Lynne Boomgaarden and Kari Gray are standing for retention election on November 3, 2020. Both Boomgaarden and Gray were appointed by former Wyoming Governor Matt Mead (R). Mead appointed all five of the justices currently on the court. The governor appoints the five justices of the Wyoming Supreme Court with the…
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Uber and Lyft to continue rideshare operations in California ahead of Proposition 22 vote
California residents still have access to Uber and Lyft. On August 20, the California First District Court of Appeal stayed a superior court judge’s decision, effectively allowing rideshare companies Uber and Lyft to continue operating in the state ahead of a vote on Proposition 22 on November 3. Prop 22 would define app-based drivers as…
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Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice to retire in January 2021
Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Coats is retiring in January 2021, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 72. Coats joined the court in 2000 after being appointed by Gov. Bill Owens (R). Before that, he was an appellate deputy district attorney for the Colorado 2nd Judicial District from 1986 to 2000. He was the…
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Maine Supreme Court: Ballot measure violates boundaries of legislative power
On August 13, 2020, the Maine Supreme Court ruled in Avangrid Networks, Inc. v. Secretary of State that a ballot referendum scheduled to appear on the November 2020 ballot was an unconstitutional violation of state separation of powers principles. The judges held that the referendum did not meet the requirements of the state constitution for inclusion…
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice expresses misgivings about judicial deference
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David N. Wecht on July 21 issued a concurring opinion in Crown Castle NG East LLC and Pennsylvania-CLE LLC v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission expressing what they called “deep and broad misgivings” about the court’s practice of deferring to state agency interpretations of statutes and regulations. The case challenged the Pennsylvania…
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Maine Supreme Judicial Court rules that ballot initiative to reverse certification for transnational transmission line project is unconstitutional
On August 13, the Maine Supreme Court blocked from the ballot a citizen initiative designed to reverse a certificate required for a transnational transmission line project. The court ruled that the measure violated the “procedural prerequisites for a direct initiative” found in the Maine Constitution. According to the Supreme Judicial Court, the Maine Constitution “requires…
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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…