Washington | Judiciary.org

Challenges to a Washington state legislative district

The Relist Watch column examines cert petitions that the Supreme Court has “relisted” for its upcoming conference. A short explanation of relists is available here.

It’s been a blissful, relist-free month since the court’s last conference. The justices will have a whopping 440 petitions and applications before them on Friday. Only two of those – both involving the same underlying controversy – are one-time relists.

Washington’s bipartisan redistricting commission redrew the state’s 49 legislative districts, including Legislative District … Read the rest

Supreme Court

A Washington send-off for Sandra Day O’Connor

The late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was celebrated at a memorial service Tuesday as an American pioneer whose mantra when facing legal decisions and life challenges was “get it done.”

“Sandra Day O’Connor, the daughter of the American west, was a pioneer in her own right, breaking down the barriers in the political world and the nation’s conscience,” President Joe Biden said during a two-hour service at Washington National Cathedral. “To her, the Supreme Court was the bedrock, the … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Washington residents challenge state’s effort to tax long-term capital gains

The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

The Constitution constrains states from excessively burdening out-of-state commerce – a doctrine known as the dormant commerce clause, because it is implicit in the grant of power to Congress to regulate interstate commerce. Five years ago, a divided Supreme Court held in South Dakota v. Wayfair that, under the doctrine, … Read the rest