Cert Granted in Lopez Torres

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in the Lopez Torres litigation that lawyers from the Brennan Center argued, along with pro bono counsel Arnold & Porter and Jenner & Block. This means that the Court will hear the case.

Senior counsel for the Brennan Center Fritz Schwarz had this to say:

Two federal courts, including a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, have said that New York’s corrupt conventions violate the First Amendment. New York’s Constitution is clear in its requirement that voters – not unelected political party bosses – select nominees for the Supreme Court bench. We look forward to the Supreme Court hearing on this case, and hope that the Court will uphold the lower court rulings and end forever New York’s sham party boss system.

In August, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s ruling that the convention system used by political parties in New York to select judicial nominees deprives New Yorkers of their right to cast a meaningful vote for trial court judges.