Douglas Keith
@douglaskeith.bsky.social
@BrennanCenter.org, focus on courts + state constitutions. Co-founding editor @StateCourtReport.org. Dad.
Kansas voters sent a strong message tonight - they want a judiciary that stands up to the legislature, not one controlled by it or shaped by big money judicial elections
Kansas Voters Crush a Measure to Elect Supreme Court Judges
The rejection of a measure to begin electing justices was a victory for abortion rights groups who defended the Kansas high court’s ruling that abortion was protected in the state constitution.
nytimes.com
Kansas voters sent a strong message tonight - they want a judiciary that stands up to the legislature, not one controlled by it or shaped by big money judicial elections
Kansas Voters Crush a Measure to Elect Supreme Court Judges
The rejection of a measure to begin electing justices was a victory for abortion rights groups who defended the Kansas high court’s ruling that abortion was protected in the state constitution.
nytimes.com
An important vote in Kansas tomorrow
Kansas Vote Could Lead to Wisconsin-Level Spending in Judicial Elections
Kansans will decide in August on an amendment that would change how judges are selected, a vote that could bring a surge of special interest spending and unwanted political pressure on judges.
statecourtreport.org
Don't sleep on this August ballot measure in Kansas that would transform -- and deeply politicize -- judicial selection in the state. The Kansas Supreme Court has been a bulwark for many important rights so this is a very concerning development. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Kansas Vote Could Lead to Wisconsin-Level Spending in Judicial Elections
Kansans will decide in August on an amendment that would change how judges are selected, a vote that could bring a surge of special interest spending and unwanted political pressure on judges.
statecourtreport.org
If Kansas voters approve this amendment, it will likely open the door to high cost judicial races and a court less willing to stand up to the legislature. New from me and @milov-cordobam.bsky.social on what's at stake in an under-the-radar vote this August: statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Kansas Vote Could Lead to Wisconsin-Level Spending in Judicial Elections
Kansans will decide in August on an amendment that would change how judges are selected, a vote that could bring a surge of special interest spending and unwanted political pressure on judges.
statecourtreport.org
Kansas voters will decide whether to replace their system of appointing supreme court justices with elections. @milov-cordobam.bsky.social & @douglaskeith.bsky.social detail how the amendment is the latest effort to make the court less independent, and the costly races voters can expect if passed.
Kansas Vote Could Lead to Wisconsin-Level Spending in Judicial Elections
Kansans will decide in August on an amendment that would change how judges are selected, a vote that could bring a surge of special interest spending and unwanted political pressure on judges.
statecourtreport.org
If Kansas voters approve this amendment, it will likely open the door to high cost judicial races and a court less willing to stand up to the legislature. New from me and @milov-cordobam.bsky.social on what's at stake in an under-the-radar vote this August: statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Kansas Vote Could Lead to Wisconsin-Level Spending in Judicial Elections
Kansans will decide in August on an amendment that would change how judges are selected, a vote that could bring a surge of special interest spending and unwanted political pressure on judges.
statecourtreport.org
Today, eight former New York State judges - including the state's former Chief Judge and Chief Admin Judge - filed an amicus brief defending New York's Protect Our Courts Act, a law prohibiting civil immigration arrests at state courthouses. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
There'll be no supreme court elections in Mississippi this year. A federal court had ordered new, fairer maps for the state's court, and was preparing to order special elections this fall under the new map. Then came SCOTUS and Callais. Important new reporting:
How the U.S. Supreme Court Erased a Key Voting Rights Win in Mississippi - Bolts
This story was produced in a collaboration between Bolts and The Marshall Project – Jackson, a nonprofit news team covering Mississippi’s criminal justice systems. Sign up for Bolts‘ newsletter and Th...
boltsmag.org
We looked into the “business courts” that are sweeping the nation. We found that nearly half the judges are former corporate lawyers, even though many of these courts hear cases involving workers and consumers. In some states, it’s 100%. newrepublic.com/article/2102...
The Stealthy Rise of the Business Court
States are rushing to establish new judicial venues to resolve business disputes. But the way they’re being built suggests they’ll be very cozy with corporate power.
newrepublic.com
Virginia is one of only two states in which the legislature appoints (and reappoints) state supreme court justices. That system leads to scenarios like what Virginia will see this January, when a justice in today's majority will go before the General Assembly to keep his seat on the court.
This is pretty shocking. Citizens United unleashed the floodgates to more big money in our elections. Shelby County and last week's Callais left the Voting Rights Act in tatters. Rucho turbocharged artisan gerrymandering to silence voters. Trump v. United States expanded presidential immunity.
Lawrence Hurley@lawrencehurley.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW: Chief Justice John Roberts bemoans that Americans don't understand how the Supreme Court operates and see justices as "political actors". The court at times simply has to make "unpopular" decisions, he adds: www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
Amazing new resource for anyone trying to follow changes on state supreme courts. Every cycle, around 20% of the seats on state high courts are up for election, and @taniel.bsky.social writes up every one of this year's races.
Taniel@taniel.bsky.social · 4mo agoI decided to write about at each & every one of the 32 states with supreme court elections this year. Why? On abortion, redistricting, death penalty, & more, these institutions & their elections remain so critical. So here's everything you need to know. NEW from me:
While federal laws and the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause place constraints on what property-related tools states and localities can use to push back on ICE actions, this report explains that they still have some avenues for ensuring the federal government and its contractors do not overreach.
State Democracy Research Initiative@uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social · 4mo agoState and local governments are increasingly using property law to push back on ICE operations. Our new report unpacks the viability of these efforts, from banning new detention centers to barring officers from staging operations on city property. statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/sta...
This is a must-read account of shadow docket deliberations. Note Roberts' push to halt an Obama-era policy b/c it would generate "substantial and irreversible reordering of the domestic power sector." Yet SCOTUS has greenlit far more disruptive Trump-era policies. /1 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...
The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court
nytimes.com
Very big news: Minnesota prosecutors just charged a federal immigration agent with assault. It's not easy to bring state prosecutions against federal officers, but the law is clear that there's no absolute immunity from state prosecution. /1 statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
When Can States Prosecute Federal Agents?
Federal precedent permits such prosecutions in limited circumstances, but the legal bar remains high.
statecourtreport.org
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 4mo agoBreaking News: An immigration agent was charged with assault in Minneapolis, a rare state prosecution for on-duty actions.
A big ruling from the Kentucky Supreme Court blocking impeachment proceedings against a state judge. Disagreement with a court ruling is not an impeachable offense and violates separation of powers under the state constitution, the court ruled. kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/06/k...
Kentucky Supreme Court halts impeachment proceedings against Lexington judge • Kentucky Lantern
The Kentucky Supreme Court is ordering lawmakers to drop impeachment proceedings against a circuit judge in Lexington.
kentuckylantern.com
Last week, the PA Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling barring mandatory life in prison without parole for felony murder convictions. Prof Martha Davis digs into the case and critiques a concurrence that argues courts shouldn't look to international law. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Pennsylvania “Cruel Punishments” Decision Nods Toward International Human Rights Law
In striking down mandatory life-without-parole sentences for felony murder, the Pennsylvania justices differed on the appropriateness of looking to international law.
statecourtreport.org
Check out @jessewegman.bsky.social’s new newsletter on SCOTUS! Check out the below, and subscribe here: majorquestions.substack.com
Major Questions with Jesse Wegman | Brennan Center | Substack
Americans’ trust in the Supreme Court is lower than ever. Every two weeks, the Brennan Center’s Jesse Wegman shines a light on one of the most powerful and least transparent institutions in American g...
majorquestions.substack.com
Brennan Center@brennancenter.org · 4mo agoThe Brennan Center’s @jessewegman.bsky.social explains why he’s starting a newsletter about the Supreme Court — what needs to change for the institution, why, and how to go about it.
BREAKING: The PA Supreme Court holds that mandatory life without parole sentences for all "felony murder" convictions -- a sentence more than 1,000 people in PA are serving -- violates the state constitution's "cruel" punishment ban. This is GROUNDBREAKING: www.pacourts.us/assets/opini...
Wow wow wow. Pa Supreme Court just ruled that mandatory life without parole for second-degree murder is unconstitutional.
I'm excited to share a new resource on SCOTUS from @brennancenter.org's Kohlberg Ctr. The Benchmark is a new hub dedicated to how SCOTUS is functioning as an institution & how it can be reformed. We'll have commentary, explainers, trackers, polling & more. /1 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Welcome to The Benchmark
The new hub from the Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court features a diverse range of commentary, analysis, and resources, as well as public opinion polling.
brennancenter.org
Happening today!!
Alicia Bannon@aliciabannon.bsky.social · 5mo agoDon't miss this virtual event on state supreme court clerkships, where you can hear directly from justices about what it's like to clerk and what they're looking for in applications. Thursday, March 19 at 3pm ET. Register below! www.brennancenter.org/events/what-...
Don't miss this virtual event on state supreme court clerkships, where you can hear directly from justices about what it's like to clerk and what they're looking for in applications. Thursday, March 19 at 3pm ET. Register below! www.brennancenter.org/events/what-...
What to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme Court
Judges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates.
brennancenter.org
Proud to join this brief with our friends @aclunm.bsky.social and @aclu.org's State Supreme Court Initiative
Matthew Segal@segalmr.bsky.social · 5mo agoTo State Court Practitioners: Have you ever wondered how you might argue, from first principles, that a state court should independently interpret its own state constitution instead of following in lockstep with the U.S. Constitution? This amicus brief does that: www.aclu.org/cases/atenci...
We do a lot in the hopes of supporting state courts and state constitutions as venues and tools for protecting rights, and this piece of it makes me so proud. Tell every law student you know to join us on March 19 to learn about why they should clerk on a state supreme court!
What to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme Court
Judges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates.
brennancenter.org
But the takeaway is that, despite many academic commentators saying that mask bans are destined to lose, the federal district court found that they are actually constitutional so long as they apply to all levels of government and do not discriminate against the federal government. 3/
Order on Motion for Preliminary Injunction – #63 in United States v. State of California (C.D. Cal., 2:25-cv-10999) – CourtListener.com
(IN CHAMBERS)-PLAINTIFF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION (Dkt. 11, filed on November 25, 2025) by Judge Christina A. Snyder: In accordance with the foregoing, the Court...
storage.courtlistener.com
LAW STUDENTS & RECENT GRADS: Interested in a state supreme court clerkship? Join us on March 19 at 3pm ET for a virtual event where you can hear from justices across the country about the application process and what it's like to clerk. Register below! www.brennancenter.org/events/what-...
What to Know About Clerking on a State Supreme Court
Judges from high courts across the country share insights for law students and recent graduates.
brennancenter.org
NYT’s reporting on the DOD-Anthropic dispute sheds more light on how the Pentagon planned to use Claude for mass surveillance of Americans: by collecting and analyzing commercial bulk data. So what is this commercial data? And how might Claude be used to collect and analyze it? 🧵 1/
How Talks Between Anthropic and the Defense Dept. Fell Apart
nytimes.com
The first state supreme court election of the year takes place today in Arkansas. It hasn't attracted big spending like some of AR's past judicial races, partly due to these machinations you can read about @boltsmag.org
Taniel@taniel.bsky.social · 5mo ago1️⃣0️⃣ Finally... it's the first state supreme court election of 2026! Arkansas is deciding between a conservative appointed by Huckabee Sanders, & a challenger who wants to take a court in a different direction. Big story here is loophole the appointee is exploiting to even be able to run.