Category Archives: judicial elections

Today’s Must-Read: “In North Carolina, Republicans Stung by Court Rulings Aim to Change the Judges”

October 18, 2017, 7:37 pmjudicial elections, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Trip Gabriel for the NYT: Republicans with a firm grip on the North Carolina legislature — and, until January, the governor’s seat — enacted a conservative agenda in recent years, only to have a steady stream of laws affecting voting… Continue reading

“Las Vegas judge tells felons if they meet probation requirements they likely can vote for Trump in 2020”

October 18, 2017, 7:45 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Head-scratcher from the Nevada Independent.

“NC Senate votes to override election law veto”

October 16, 2017, 7:07 pmjudicial electionsRick Hasen

WRAL: The state Senate voted Monday night to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a measure that would cancel all judicial primary elections in 2018. The House is expected to follow suit Tuesday, although that vote may be delayed. Senate … Continue reading

“North Carolina gerrymandering bill pits black judges against other incumbents”

October 10, 2017, 7:35 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

Think Progress: Many critics of the proposal, including judges, have expressed concerns about the impact on judicial diversity. An analysis by NC Policy Watch reported that judges of color on the district courts are more likely to be “double bunked,”… Continue reading

More changes coming for North Carolina judicial elections

October 5, 2017, 7:11 pmjudicial electionsJustin Levitt

Now looks like 2018 primaries may be going away, and the filing date for races may be pushed back … which allows more time for a pending redistricting bill.

Today’s Must-Read: “A judge, a Vegas phone call and the NC GOP legislative effort to remake the judicial branch”

August 23, 2017, 7:13 amjudicial elections, political partiesRick Hasen

Anne Blythe’s News and Observer piece begins: Doug McCullough was five months away from his deadline for mandatory retirement from the state Court of Appeals bench when the chairman of the state Republican Party gave him a call. Democrat… Continue reading

Federal Court Finds Louisiana Engaged in Intentional Racial Discrimination in At-Large Judicial Elections [Corrected]

August 18, 2017, 10:46 amjudicial elections, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

From the 91-page opinion, also finding Voting Rights Act discriminatory effect: District-based voting was rejected for the 32nd JDC on at least six occasions between 1997 and 2011. Taken as a whole, this timeline shows discriminatory intent. Local white officials,… Continue reading

“GOP wants new election maps for NC judges and prosecutors”

June 26, 2017, 5:01 pmchicanery, judicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

News & Observer: A proposal to redraw North Carolina’s court districts has emerged in the final days of the General Assembly’s session. A state House judiciary committee considered proposed maps for Superior Court and District Court judges and district attorneys… Continue reading

“A Test of American Democracy; In attempts to undermine democracy, state lawmakers have set their sights on the courts.”

May 19, 2017, 3:26 pmcampaigns, judicial elections, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Alicia Bannon and Nathaniel Sobel at TAP.

“Heated MT Judicial Campaign Spawns Free-Speech Lawsuit”

May 7, 2017, 11:46 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Courthouse News Service: A new federal lawsuit involving a contentious Montana judicial race last year claims an investigation into campaign statements is having a chilling effect on one of the candidate’s ability to defend himself in disciplinary proceedings. Robert Myers… Continue reading

“Federal Voting Rights Lawsuit in Texas Continues Following Rejection of State’s Motion to Dismiss”

April 5, 2017, 6:43 pmjudicial elections, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Release via email: This week, a federal district court judge denied the State of Texas’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the method of electing Texas’s Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals violates the Voting Rights Act. The… Continue reading

“Williams-Yulee and the Anomaly of Campaign Finance Law”

March 27, 2017, 1:17 pmcampaign finance, judicial elections, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Noah Lindell has written this comment for the Yale Law Journal. A taste: This Comment enters an existing debate over how courts should analyze campaign finance laws and other election regulations. Judges and authors have noted that the Court has… Continue reading

“Judicial Candidates’ Right to Lie”

March 27, 2017, 1:13 pmcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Nat Stern has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming Maryland Law Review). Here is the abstract: A large majority of state judges are chosen through some form of popular election. In Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, the Supreme Court… Continue reading