Tag: state supreme court
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules against 2019 Marsy’s Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment
In 2019, 74% of voters at the election on Nov. 5, 2019, voted to approve the Pennsylvania Marsy’s Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment. Results were never certified because the Commonwealth Court enjoined then-Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar from certifying election results pending litigation. On Dec. 21, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a 6-1 ruling,…
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11 apply for vacant Tennessee Supreme Court seat
The Tennessee courts administration announced on Nov. 19 that 11 individuals applied to fill the vacant seat on the Tennessee Supreme Court. The seat became vacant on Sept. 24 when former Justice Cornelia Clark passed away from cancer. The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will hold a public hearing on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9…
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Texas Gov. Abbott appoints state supreme court justice
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) appointed Evan Young to the Texas State Supreme court on Nov. 1, 2021. Young assumed office on Nov. 9. Young’s appointment fills the vacancy created by Eva Guzman, who resigned from the court in June 2021 to run for Texas attorney general. Under Texas law, the governor appoints a replacement…
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California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar resigns
California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar resigned on Oct. 31 to become president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. Former Gov. Jerry Brown (D) appointed Cuéllar to the state supreme court in July 2014, and voters retained him in November 2014 with 68% of the vote. Before joining the California Supreme…
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Kevin Brobson (R) defeats Maria McLaughlin (D) in Pennsylvania Supreme Court election
Kevin Brobson (R) defeated Maria McLaughlin (D) in the general election for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. As of 3:00 a.m. EST, The New York Times reported that Brobson had received 52.6% of the vote to McLaughlin’s 47.4%. Justice Thomas Saylor (R), who joined the court in 1998, did not run for another term because…
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New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice selects Philip Carchman as Legislative Reapportionment Commission tiebreaker
On Oct. 7, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner named Philip Carchman as the tiebreaker member of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. Carchman is a former state appellate court judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. In July, Rabner requested tiebreaker proposals from the Democratic and Republican members of the commission, saying: “If there…
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Tennessee Supreme Court justice’s death leaves vacancy
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark passed away from cancer on Sept. 24. Her death created one vacancy on the five-member supreme court. Clark’s replacement will be Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) first nominee to the court. Under Tennessee law, midterm vacancies on the supreme court are filled via gubernatorial appointment with legislative approval. The appointed…
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How vacancies are filled on state supreme courts
The most common reasons for a vacancy on a state supreme court include reaching the mandatory retirement age, retiring before the end of a term, death, or appointment to another office. The process for filling vacancies on state supreme courts varies among states. In most states, the governor appointments a replacement justice, either outright or…
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First 2022 state supreme court vacancy announced
Wyoming State Supreme Court Justice Michael K. Davis is retiring on Jan. 16, 2022, upon reaching the state court’s mandatory retirement age of 70 years. The vacancy created by Davis’ retirement is the first state supreme court vacancy to be announced for 2022. Davis’ replacement will be Governor Mark Gordon’s (R) first nominee to the…
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Maryland state supreme court’s chief justice to retire on Sept. 10
Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Justice Mary Ellen Barbera is retiring on Sept. 10, upon reaching the state court’s mandatory retirement age of 70 years. Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed Steven Gould to succeed Barbera on the court on Sept. 3. Gould was Hogan’s fifth nominee to the seven-member supreme court. Gould is a judge…