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Scott v. Pennsylvania Board of Parole
Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled it lacked jurisdiction to hear petition for review of parole board's denial of parole applications of people serving mandatory sentences of life without parole for felony murder. Petitioners sought a declaration that application of statute denying parole to individuals serving life sentences to those convicted of felony murder was unconstitutional under state ban on cruel punishments.
State v. Gibbons
Ruled that a statute imposing a mandatory minimum $5,000 fine without regard to a criminal defendant's ability to pay was facially unconstitutional in violation of Montana's proportionality requirement and the Excessive Fines and Fees Clause
Office of the State of Public Defender v. Bonta
Plaintiffs, a group of civil right and legal organizations, challenge the legality of the California death penalty statute, claiming it is racially discriminatory and violates the state constitution.
City of Dallas v. Employees Retirement Fund of City of Dallas
Held that a city cannot delegate to a third party the perpetual right to veto changes in a city ordinance under art. 11 section 5 of the Texas Constitution
Board of Education v. Cabell County Public Library
Ruled that the restoration of equalization payments from the county board of education, pursuant to Special Acts, violated equal protection insofar as the payments required that funding district and library to be part of the county board of education's excess levy proposal
Williams v. Powell
Held that statutes criminalizing acts likely to prevent or disrupt the General Assembly and criminalizing intentionally disruptive or disorderly conduct at state capital were neither facially overbroad nor facially vague
What We Learned From State Ballot Measures
The results of 2024's state ballot measures reveal mixed voter opinions on abortion, workers’ rights, and direct democracy.
Thompson v. Fhuere
Held that defendant's challenge to constitutionality of death sentence, together with challenge to postconviction court's modification of sentence rather than remand for resentencing, were not cognizable on postconviction review after Governor commuted death sentence
Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. State
Held that determination that corporate subentities of Roman Catholic diocese's social ministry arm were not operated primarily for religious purposes did not constitute as-applied violation of Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses
John Surico
John Surico is a journalist and researcher. His reporting can be found in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Bloomberg, and elsewhere. He teaches city-centric...
