State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in November
Issues on the dockets include indigent defense crises in multiple states, what’s been called a “de facto repeal” of citizens’ initiative power, and a voter-approved ban on large-capacity magazines.
Cases, Courts, and Constitutions Across the 50 States
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
Missouri Appeals Court Upholds Order Blocking Abortion Restrictions
The ruling is the latest in a long-running saga over abortion access following voters’ 2024 approval of a state constitutional reproductive-rights amendment.
2025 Ballot Measures to Watch
Voters will decide whether to amend their state constitutions or statutes regarding redistricting, voting, firearm access, parental rights, taxes, and more.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Commentary
The Maryland Constitution: One of the Nation’s Oldest, Was a Model for Other States
The state’s current constitution was adopted during the Reconstruction Era as a reactionary effort to re-establish pre-Civil War government.
State Judges Target the U.S. Supreme Court
A justice in Washington concurred in a recent opinion but dissented “from the racism embedded in the federal case law that applies to this dispute.”