Search
Filter Search
Religious Freedom Claims Could Provide New Path to Protect Abortion Rights
Challenges to abortion bans by religious plaintiffs have had mixed results.
State Constitutions and the Limits of Criminal Punishments
This symposium will engage with the growing legal and intellectual movement to challenge excessive criminal punishments via state constitutional prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishments and related clauses.
Syed v. Lee
Maryland Supreme Court held that victim's representatives had a right to participate in person a hearing on a motion to vacate defendant's conviction under state constitution's requirement that crime victims be treated with dignity and sensitivity
Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Hunt
Unanimously denied challenge to the law restoring voting rights to non-incarcerated individuals convicted of felonies, on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing
Multiple High Courts Uphold Voters’ Right to Use Ballot Measures to Change Law
Decisions in California, Michigan, and Utah could serve as models for courts in other states facing power struggles between legislatures and proponents of voter-approved ballot initiatives.
In Re the State of Texas
The State of Texas requested that a Harris County guaranteed income program in that would use federal funds to disburse $500 cash payments (monthly, for 18 months) to 2,000 low-income county residents be paused as a lawsuit over the program proceeds in the trial court. The Texas Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction.
Direct Democracy Under Attack
Courts in Utah and Michigan recently blocked legislative assaults on the ballot initiative process.
Kanahele v. State
Held that the state's transfer of control over a mountain access road constituted a breach of its constitutional duty to carry out the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act
State of Washington v. Gator's Custom Guns
After a lower court found that Washington's weapons ban on magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition violates the state and U.S. constitutions, the Washington Supreme Court issued a stay on enforcing the ruling while the state of Washington appeals the lower court decision.
