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People v. Langston
Court will consider constitutionality of mandatory application of life-without-parole sentences to adults convicted of “felony murder" when there is no evidence defendant acted with malice.
State ex. rel. Raúl Torrez v. Board of County Commissioners for Lea County
Petitioner claims that abortion bans violate the constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment, guarantees of liberty and due process, and protection of inherent rights
State v. Miller
Held that the Iowa Constitution’s cruel and unusual punishment clause does not prohibit sentencing juvenile offenders to a minimum prison term before they are eligible for parole and rejected the defendant’s argument that the same clause bars such a sentence unless there is expert testimony concerning defendants’ “youthful characteristics"
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in February
Issues on the dockets include a fetal heartbeat law, police use of force, and academic freedom.
State ex rel. Spung v. Evnen
Ordered election officials to implement immediately a 2024 law that reinstated voting rights to those convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence, meaning affected people can now register to vote for November’s election. The secretary of state, based on an advisory opinion from the state attorney general calling the law unconstitutional, had directed election officials to stop registering people with a felony conviction who had not received a pardon.
Scholarship Roundup: New Year Edition
The last few months brought a rich array of articles and books about state constitutions, courts, and governance.
In States with Abortion Bans, When Does a Medical Emergency Trigger an Exception?
Doctors have delayed life-saving care out of confusion over exceptions to strict abortion bans. State courts are being asked to clarify the laws.
Local Abortion Restrictions Preempted in New Mexico
The New Mexico Supreme Court struck down an attempt by conservative activists to create anti-abortion enclaves in the state, which has expansive abortion protections.
League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature (LWV 2)
Voided Amendment D, a legislatively referred proposed state constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to repeal citizen-initiated and approved ballot measures. The amendment would have overturned a prior Utah high court ruling. The state supreme court found that legislature failed to follow the proper procedure for placing an amendment on the ballot.
Planned Parenthood of Montana v. State (Planned Parenthood 3)
Upheld preliminary injunction against 2023 laws and an agency rule that limit Medicaid coverage for abortion, finding that they likely violate the right to a pre-viability abortion the Montana Supreme Court has recognized as protected by the state constitution's right to privacy, as well as the state's equal protection clause.
