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State v. Amble
Iowa Supreme Court revisited its 2021 decision in State v. Wright that the state's search and seizure clause requires police to obtain a warrant before searching garbage placed curbside for collection, finding that subsequent enactment of a state statute providing such garbage "shall be deemed abandoned property" means a warrant is no longer constitutionally required. The majority reasoned that Wright relied on "positive law" -- a local anti-scavening ordinance prohibiting anyone but licensed trash collectors from picking up trash -- to define private property rights, and the state statute changed that positive law by preempting the local ordinance. A dissent opined that the majority's position allows legislative "end-runs" of constitutional rights and disregards an overarching reasonable-expectation-of-privacy analysis.
Black Voters Matter v. Byrd
Florida Supreme Court upheld the state's 2022 congressional map against voting rights groups' challenge that it diminishes Black voters' ability to elect candidates of their choice in violation of a 2010 amendment, finding the plaintiffs had not proven the possibility of drawing a remedial map that complies with the federal equal protection clause.
Universal Injunctions in State Courts
Debates over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction are brewing. States should not follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein Discusses Disability Rights
Bernstein, the court’s first blind justice, travels the world promoting access and equality for disabled people.
Texas Department of Family & Protective Services v. Grassroots LeaderShip, Inc.
Held that there is no “public-interest exception” to mootness under the Texas Constitution, reasoning that Texas courts lack constitutional authority to decide moot cases, even if they raise issues of public importance
LS Power Midcontinent, LLC v. State
Reaffirmed that Iowa Code § 478.16, which granted the incumbents a so-called right of first refusal, violated the Iowa Constitution, which requires laws to have a single subject and a clear title
Hall-Haught v. State
Ruled that admitting forensic lab results through a supervising analyst who did not perform the testing violated the defendant’s constitutional right to confront witnesses under the Washington Constitution
State v. Andrus
Held that evidence obtained via federal administrative subpoenas at the request of state officers did not violate Utah’s Electronic Information or Data Privacy Act or Article I, Section 14 of the Utah Constitution
Spencer v. State
Vacated a sweeping gag order issued in a high-profile criminal case, holding that it violated constitutional protections of free speech and due process under the Arkansas Constitution
States Grapple with the Death Penalty
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. But some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
