This morning the Washington State Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the case of City of Seattle vs. Long, in which the city impounded the truck that a homeless man was living in and that was parked illegally on public property, and then charged him $950 to cover the towing company’s fees (later reduced to $550 by a magistrate).
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State Supreme Court allows Sawant recall to move forward
In a unanimous opinion issued this morning, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that a recall petition filed against Councilmember Kshama Sawant may move forward. It found that three of the four charges in the petition were both factually and legally sufficient to justify a recall election.
Continue readingState Supreme Court sets schedule to decide Sawant recall petition appeal
Today the Washington State Supreme Court set the briefing schedule for Council member Sawant’s appeal of a lower court’s certification of a recall petition against her, with an expectation that it will decide the matter in early January.
Continue readingA footnote to history: the state Supreme Court tries to repair a past harm to Black lives
Buried on page 13 of today’s Washington State Supreme Court ruling invalidating Initiative 976 is a lengthy footnote. It does something very unusual for a footnote: it explicitly overturns a 1960 ruling by the Court, in an attempt to make amends for an incredibly racist opinion that has sat on the books for sixty years.
Continue readingState Supreme court throws out Initiative 976
This morning the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that Initiative 976, Tim Eyman’s most recent “$30 car tabs” effort, is unconstitutional. The Court found that the initiative contained multiple subjects and that its title was “deceptive and misleading.” It overturned a lower court ruling that largely upheld the initiative.
Continue readingState Supreme Court tosses recall petition against Mayor
After hearing the case on an expedited schedule, this afternoon in a brief two-page order the Washington State Supreme Court unanimously rejected as “factually and legally insufficient” a recall petition filed against Mayor Durkan and certified by a lower court.
Continue readingState Supreme court takes I-976 appeal, stays lower court ruling, expedites schedule
Today the Washington State Supreme Court agreed to hear a direct appeal of the legal challenge to Initiative 976, the $30 car-tabs bill, and place it on an expedited schedule.
Continue readingSupreme Court declines to hear income tax appeal
This morning the Washington State Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling on Seattle’s progressive income tax ordinance.
Continue readingI-976 appeal goes straight to the state Supreme Court
Last week the parties challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 976 filed notice that they intended to appeal Judge Marshall Ferguson’s recent ruling directly to the state Supreme Court. Today they kicked off the arguments, with an emergency motion to stay Ferguson’s ruling until their appeal is resolved.
Continue readingCity appeals income tax ruling to state Supreme Court
As expected, yesterday the City of Seattle filed an appeal with the Washington State Supreme Court of the recent appeals court ruling on its income tax ordinance.
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