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North Carolina Could Be on the Verge of a Constitutional Crisis
If the courts hand a victory to the state’s losing supreme court candidate, citizens across the political spectrum could perceive the court as unfair — and the justices risk losing their legitimacy.
Crawford v. Commonwealth
Held that Philadelphia, city residents, and a gun-safety group had failed to state a claim that state laws preempting local gun control measures violate state constitutional due process, rejecting their argument that the clause protects a collective right to use local regulation as a means of self-defense from acts of gun violence.
Virginia Courts Are Revisiting How to Interpret the State Constitution
A recent case announcing greater state protection of religious liberties than under federal law marked a turning point in Virginia jurisprudence.
State v. Vasquez
In response to certified questions from the state intermediate appellate court, held that a trial court may, of its own accord without a defense motion, order a hearing as to whether evidence should be suppressed. The questions arose after a trial judge noticed a pattern of warrantless searches and seizures in her docket and set suppression hearings in 30 cases, ultimately supressing evidence in 6 cases after the prosecution chose to dismiss 13.
Brown v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed trial court ruling that a city's use of a mobile voting truck for in-person absentee voting violates state statutes, finding the voter plaintiff lacked standing.
An Ohio Court Strikes Down Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
Citing the state’s health care freedom amendment, the court ruled that Ohio’s restrictions on transgender youth care violate the state constitution.
Washington, DC Needs Stronger ‘Home Rule’
Most state constitutions allow municipal governments autonomy over local matters. Washington, DC’s policies, by contrast, must go to Congress for approval.
In Re Application for Correction of Birth Record of Hailey Emmeline Adelaide
Court was unable to form a majority on the merits, which had the effect of leaving undisturbed lower court rulings denying a transgender woman’s request to change the sex marker on her birth certificate.
