Bridget Lavender

4 weeks ago | statecourtreport.org | Bridget Lavender |Erin Smith |Sarah Kessler

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear arguments over the claims of a former insurance company employee who objected to the company’s Covid-19 vaccine requirement and was fired after she emailed legislators to express her concerns. Opinions, Briefs and other Documents

Dec 10, 2024 | aclu.org | Anthony D. Romero |Julie Murray |Bridget Lavender

Nearly 50 years ago, former Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, Jr. observed that “state courts no less than federal are and ought to be the guardians of our liberties.”He was right. More than 98 percent of court cases filed in the United States are in state courts, and state courts play an outsized role in certain areas of the law, including the rights of criminal defendants and families.

Dec 5, 2024 | statecourtreport.org | Rex Bossert |Bridget Lavender |Emma Hetherington |Ting Cheng

In a country where the federal Constitution fails to guarantee sex equality, state Equal Rights Amendments (ERAs) and local laws have become essential safeguards for democracy. New York was one of several states to pass an amendment enshrining abortion rights into the state constitution last month — and the only one to do so with an inclusively worded ERA.

Nov 26, 2024 | statecourtreport.org | Alicia Bannon |Bridget Lavender |Geeta Tewari |Sarah Kessler

Issues on the dockets include school funding, protection of children in foster care, and the death penalty. Each month, State Court Report previews upcoming oral arguments in prominent or interesting state court cases.

Oct 21, 2024 | statecourtreport.org | Rex Bossert |Bridget Lavender |Emma Hetherington |Quinn Yeargain

As federal same-sex marriage rights appear increasingly vulnerable, voters are removing discriminatory language from their state constitutions.   Decades after it started, the movement to protect marriage equality at the state level is gaining renewed urgency. In 2004, the nation was embroiled in a political and cultural clash over whether people of the same sex should be allowed to marry — and the “traditional marriage” set was winning.