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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Courts - Turmoil involving Supreme Court makeup in Iowa and Wisconsin continues

Stories this weekend:

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, this story by Larry Sandler and Jason Stein headlined "Count on some chaos in state Supreme Court recount."

From the DesMoines Register, this story by William Petroski headed "Paulsen's words kill effort to impeach justices." A quote:

But legislators favoring impeachment said they will keep pressing their case, while acknowledging they lack the 51 votes in the 100-member Iowa House to force an impeachment trial in the Senate.

"It's time we start focusing on our constitution," said Rep. Tom Shaw, R-Laurens, one of five lawmakers who filed the impeachment resolutions Thursday in the Iowa House. "The Supreme Court is granting itself power where no power exists. The power exists in the Legislature."

See also the sidebar, which reports:
Polk County District Judge Michael Huppert has thrown out a lawsuit that challenged November's vote that ousted three members of the Iowa Supreme Court. The suit, filed by three lawyers - including former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman John Roehrick - challenged the ballots used. It contended judicial retention ballot laws didn't meet a requirement of the Iowa Constitution calling for judges to stand for retention on a "separate ballot."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 24, 2011 08:03 PM
Posted to Courts in general