State supreme courts

The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh, the disbarred lawyer sentenced to life in prison in 2023 for killing his wife Maggie and son Paul. The ruling comes after Murdaugh's legal team argued a juror's improper comments to other jurors tainted the trial. State justices agreed he did not receive a fair trial, sending the case back for a new trial.

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will no longer take part in a pending climate change case before the court. The announcement, reported by SCOTUSblog, removes one justice from a dispute with potential consequences for climate regulation, leaving eight justices to decide the outcome. Reasons for the withdrawal were not stated in the report.

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will not take part in a pending climate change case, according to multiple US news outlets. No reason for his recusal was given in the reports. His absence could affect the outcome of the case, which is seen as pivotal for climate-related litigation and regulation in the United States.

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has withdrawn from a major climate case, reversing an earlier decision to take part. The move comes amid scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest surrounding the justice. The reversal is drawing attention to ethical questions facing the Supreme Court and to the stakes of the climate litigation, which could have significant consequences for environmental regulation in the United States.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a high-profile climate case before the Court, according to Politico. The withdrawal removes one justice from a closely watched dispute over climate regulation, potentially affecting how the Court rules on an issue with sweeping implications for federal environmental policy and the states and industries involved.

The US Supreme Court is set to take up a lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado, seeking to hold energy companies liable for damages tied to wildfire risks linked to climate change. The case could determine whether local governments can pursue such claims in state courts, with broad implications for similar climate lawsuits nationwide.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a case that could determine the fate of climate lawsuits brought by states and municipalities against major oil companies. Without giving a reason, Alito's removal leaves eight justices to weigh whether the suits, which seek damages for climate change harms, can proceed. The outcome could reshape how oil companies are held accountable for emissions, making the case one of the most consequential climate-related matters to reach the high court.

Virginia Democrats have asked the US Supreme Court to intervene after a state court threw out their congressional redistricting plan. The request seeks to override the state court's ruling and keep the redrawn map in place. The dispute centers on who holds final authority over district boundaries drawn by the legislature, a fight with implications for party control of Virginia's congressional seats.

The US Supreme Court has allowed states to use a federal database to verify the citizenship of voter registration applicants. The decision, reported by Route Fifty, clears the way for expanded vetting ahead of the midterm elections, though analysts say its practical effect on the upcoming contests will be limited because implementation timelines and coverage constraints restrict how widely the tool can be applied.

A Supreme Court ruling concerning a disputed election may conflict with existing state law, according to reporting by Honolulu Civil Beat. The ruling raises questions about how election disputes should be resolved when federal judicial decisions and state statutes point in different directions. Further details about which state, which election, and the specific legal provisions involved were not provided in the available information.

The Supreme Court has for a third time blocked the use of a Republican-drawn electoral map in Missouri. The repeated interventions mark an unusual level of judicial scrutiny of the state's redistricting, keeping Missouri's congressional district lines in flux ahead of upcoming elections. The ruling lands amid an intensifying national fight over partisan map-drawing, with both parties redrawing districts to seek advantages in narrowly divided chambers.

The US Supreme Court has upheld state laws banning transgender girls from competing on girls' school sports teams. The ruling allows such bans, already passed in multiple states, to remain in effect and is a significant setback for advocates of transgender inclusion in school athletics, while supporters of the laws say it protects fairness in women's sports.

Energy industry interests are asking the US Supreme Court to take up a case that could shield oil companies from climate-related lawsuits. According to Vox, the request is being described as audacious, with critics saying the industry is seeking to escape accountability in state courts where dozens of cities and states are suing over climate damages.

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that the government is in violation of a previous court order concerning visits to prisoners. The ruling finds the state failed to comply with arrangements it was required to allow. The decision adds to ongoing legal disputes between Israel’s judiciary and government, and is likely to draw attention from human rights groups and legal observers in the region.

President Trump has publicly criticized the Supreme Court after it blocked Missouri's Republican-favored congressional map for the third time. The dispute centers on GOP efforts to redraw the state's districts to their advantage, with the court repeatedly refusing to allow the new boundaries to take effect. Trump blasted the justices' decision, intensifying tensions between the White House and a court he appointed a majority of, and keeping redistricting fights in the national spotlight.

The US Supreme Court has blocked Missouri's redrawn congressional map for the third time, halting the gerrymandered district boundaries from taking effect while challenges continue. The repeated interventions keep Missouri's current congressional seats in place for now. The ruling is drawing attention from voting rights advocates and state officials locked in a dispute over partisan redistricting in the state.

The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for states to run voter citizenship checks using the federal SAVE database ahead of the midterm elections. The decision lets election officials verify the citizenship status of registered voters against federal records. Supporters say it protects election integrity, while voting-rights groups warn it could lead to eligible voters being wrongly flagged or purged from rolls close to the vote.

The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Missouri's 2022 congressional district map for the third time, rejecting renewed challenges to the state's redistricting plan. The repeated decisions leave the map adopted by Missouri Republicans after the 2020 census in place. Legal fights over the boundaries have stretched on since its adoption.

The U.S. Supreme Court has once more blocked Missouri's redrawn congressional district map, which critics describe as gerrymandered. The intervention stops the state's new boundaries from taking effect while litigation continues, marking a repeated setback for Missouri Republicans who pushed the map. Details on the court's reasoning and next steps in the case remain limited in initial reports.

California's state Supreme Court has ruled that a county sheriff violated state election law by seizing ballots. The decision confirms that the seizure was unlawful under California election rules. The ruling is drawing attention to the limits of law enforcement authority over election materials and the safeguards protecting ballots in the state.

The Cato Institute argues that the Supreme Court's decision to reauthorize the SAVE student loan repayment program is being overstated by some commentators, and that its practical impact is smaller than claimed. The SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment scheme for federal student borrowers, has been a frequent target of litigation and political debate, making any court action on it headline-worthy.

The Supreme Court has reinstated a federal immigration database, a decision arriving just ahead of the November election. Attention is now turning to whether Arizona officials will deploy the database, a state long at the center of immigration enforcement battles. Observers are weighing how the ruling could affect state-level checks and enforcement practices, and what role immigration policy will play in campaign debates heading into the vote.

Legal commentary is examining the fallout from Missouri's congressional redistricting battle and how the Supreme Court has responded to it. The analysis highlights key lessons from the dispute over district maps, including questions about the procedures and legal standards governing redistricting, and what the Court's reaction signals for similar battles in other states.

The Supreme Court has refused for a third time to approve a Missouri congressional map backed by President Trump, leaving the state's district boundaries unchanged. The repeated rejections put the map's Republican sponsors back at square one and add a new chapter to the fight over redrawing congressional districts for partisan advantage ahead of future elections.

Legal organizations that previously won a Supreme Court victory on birthright citizenship have filed new motions in response to the latest executive order on the issue. The groups, including the ACLU, are seeking to block the administration's renewed attempt to restrict citizenship rights for children born in the United States, arguing the order conflicts with the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment and prior court rulings.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from the Suncor climate liability case, according to Bloomberg Law. The case involves claims against oil company Suncor over climate change damages. Without stating a reason, the recusal reduces the Court to eight justices for the matter and follows earlier recusals in similar oil industry climate cases.

Donald Trump publicly criticized the US Supreme Court after it rejected, for the third time, a Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri. The rebuke highlights growing tension between Trump and a court shaped by his own appointees, with the dispute centering on gerrymandering claims and how far state legislatures can go in redrawing districts for partisan advantage ahead of upcoming elections.

The California Supreme Court has ordered the Riverside County sheriff to return roughly 650,000 ballots that were seized during an investigation. The ruling, reported by San Diego's 10 News, requires the sheriff's department to hand the ballots back. The case is drawing attention because of the scale of the seizure and questions over law enforcement's handling of election materials in the county.

The City of Boulder's landmark climate liability lawsuit is heading to the United States Supreme Court, raising questions about who pays for climate damage. The case, brought against major fossil fuel companies, tests whether local governments can seek damages in state courts for climate-related costs. Observers are weighing what the outcome could mean for similar suits nationwide.

The Supreme Court has rejected a Republican-drawn congressional map in Missouri, handing Democrats a win in the ongoing battle over redistricting. The ruling could force new district lines ahead of upcoming elections and affects the balance of a state where Republicans currently dominate the congressional delegation. Observers are weighing what the decision means for Democratic prospects in Missouri and for the broader national fight over gerrymandering.

Justice Minister Flávio Dino's ministry, under a decision attributed to Supreme Court justice Nunes Marques, must include Romeu Zema and other Novo party candidates for state governorships in official electoral debates in Brazil. The ruling extends debate participation rules beyond the major party candidates, affecting upcoming gubernatorial race broadcasts.

A Star Tribune opinion piece argues that police accountability in Minnesota is effectively on appeal at the state's Supreme Court. The piece frames a pending case as a test of whether officers can be held liable for misconduct, with implications for oversight of law enforcement across the state. Readers are weighing the court's likely direction on a longstanding flashpoint in Minnesota politics following the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis.

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read has issued a response to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court. The statement was reported by local news radio, though the details of the ruling and Read's specific remarks have not been disclosed in the available coverage. Reactions and further comment are not yet known.

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to disturb Missouri's 2022 congressional redistricting map, leaving the state's current district boundaries in place. The decision ends a challenge to the maps drawn after the 2020 census. Observers see it as a significant moment for Missouri's political landscape ahead of future elections.