State courts @peoplesparity @action_ppp. Former freelance journalist & author. he/him
May 21 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
N.C. Court of Appeals says the 2nd amendment gave this defendant the right to possess a small arsenal in his car on school grounds (UNC's hospital). Thanks, SCOTUS... #ncpol appellate.nccourts.org/opinions/?c=2&…
The court quotes the SCOTUS ruling in Bruen at length. Then it concludes that the hospital parking lot, which isn't far from a lot of on-campus housing, isn't a "sensitive place."
Sep 21, 2023 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
#NCGA will soon vote on a budget that was rolled out last night. It gives the GOP unprecedented control over the courts and the commission that's investigating Justice Earls for speaking out about bias in her court. And it targets Legal Aid lawyers. slate.com/news-and-polit…
The budget proposal allows lawmakers to take over 10 Superior Court seats. Republican legislators would choose the judges, instead of the voters. It also allows Chief Justice Newby (R) to choose which judges hear lawsuits challenging state laws. 🤔 webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocume…
Feb 4, 2023 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
The North Carolina Supreme Court has taken the unprecedented step of agreeing to rehear two crucial voting rights cases they decided recently (43 days ago, in one case). Justice Earls calls it a “display of raw partisanship” and a “power grab.” electionlawblog.org/wp-content/upl…
Justice Earls on the new GOP majority’s action: “It took this Court just one month to send a smoke signal to the public that our decisions are fleeting, and our precedent is only as enduring as the terms of the justices who sit on the bench.” #ncpol
Feb 2, 2023 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
The NC Supreme Court, with its new GOP majority, is hearing arguments now in a lawsuit over voting rights for people with felony convictions. WATCH: #ncpol#ncga
Last year, people with felony convictions who were on probation or parole were able to vote for the first time. The courts struck down the ban on those people voting violated the state constitution. But the high court could undo that.
Apr 23, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Republican legislators around the country are making big changes to courts they don’t like. They’re creating new appellate courts, gerrymandering judges, and more. 1/5
Two weeks ago, the Texas GOP wanted to consolidate 14 appellate courts (which now include more Democrats). But now, they want to create a 15th appellate court. facingsouth.org/2021/04/big-bu… 2/5
Nov 10, 2020 • 8 tweets • 5 min read
The race for NC Chief Justice keeps getting closer. Justice Newby (the court's only Republican) is still in the lead by 2,074 votes. We're expecting a lot of new results today. #ncpol#ncga
Whoa! Chief Justice Beasley is now only 1,051 votes behind Justice Newby. The difference is half what it was this morning. #ncpol#ncga
Sep 15, 2020 • 15 tweets • 8 min read
NC Court of Appeals upholds 2 constitutional amendments passed by a racially gerrymandered legislature appellate.nccourts.org/opinions/?c=2&…#NCGA Young's dissent: "If an unlawfully-formed legislature could indeed amend the Constitution, it could do so to grant itself the veneer of legitimacy"
The lawsuit was filed by @NCNAACP. The legislature passed the amendments after #SCOTUS affirmed that it had been elected in unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts. facingsouth.org/2018/08/north-…