Patricia Guerrero was sworn in to the California Supreme Court on March 28, 2022. Founded in 1849, the California Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort and has seven judgeships. Of the seven current justices, five were appointed by Democratic governors and two by a Republican governor. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Guerrero…
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in League of Women Voters of Ohio v. DeWine and Adams v. DeWine on March 18 saying it did not have jurisdiction to rule on further challenges to the congressional map at the center of those cases. Barring a successful legal challenge, the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s March 2 congressional plan will take effect for…
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court selected a new congressional district map, officially enacting that map as part of the post-2020 redistricting process on Feb. 23. Pennsylvania was apportioned 17 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, one fewer than it received after the 2010 census. This map will take effect for Pennsylvania’s…
On Jan. 24, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled provisions of a 2018 law adding restrictions to the state’s initiative process unconstitutional. The decision overturned two provisions of House Bill 6595 (HB6595): a distribution requirement to allow no more than 15 percent of required signatures to come from a given congressional district and a registration requirement…
New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina is scheduled to retire from the court on Feb. 15 upon reaching the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70 years old. Fernandez-Vina’s replacement will be Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) third nominee to the seven-member supreme court. In New Jersey, state supreme court justices are selected through direct…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…