Court Cases
Little v. LATFOR
The Brennan Center filed a motion in New York Supreme Court seeking to intervene and help defend New York’s new law ending prison-based gerrymandering in state and local redistricting.
– 05/17/11
National Organization for Marriage v. Walsh
The Brennan Center joined Common Cause/NY and Citizens Union in submitting an amicus brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals defending New York state's election laws. The groups urged the appellate court to uphold the constitutionality of New York’s long-standing disclosure requirements for political committees, and to affirm a district court opinion dismissing the complaint and denying the motion of the National Organization for Marriage for a preliminary injunction.
– 05/09/11
Al Falah Center v. Township of Bridgewater
The Al Falah Center brought suit against the Township of Bridgewater, N.J. to compel the township to allow Al Falah to move forward with plans to renovate an existing building for use as a mosque and Islamic community center.
– 04/26/11
United States v. Village of Port Chester
Brennan Center represented Fair Vote in providing remedy to a Section 2 challenge against the Village of Port Chester.
– 04/22/11
Wisconsin Prosperity Network, Inc. v. Myse
The Brennan Center filed an amicus brief in Wisconsin Prosperity Network, Inc. v. Myse defending the Wisconsin GAB’s administrative judicial disclosure rule.
– 04/04/11
Amnesty Int’l v. Clapper (Amicus Brief)
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that plaintiff's have standing to challenge the constitutionality of the FISA Amendments Act. In December of 2008 and 2009, the Brennan Center for Justice filed supplemental amici in the case, urging the court to overturn the law.
– 03/21/11
Respect Maine PAC. v. Walter McKee
Representing eight state legislative candidates and the Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, the Brennan Center filed a brief opposing an eleventh-hour motion to enjoin numerous parts of Maine's campaign finance system before the November elections. Plaintiffs' request to enjoin trigger provisions, disclosure provisions, and gubernatorial contribution limits has been denied three times: by Justice Stephen Breyer, by a unanimous panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and by the Maine District Court. It was only then that plaintiffs made a renewed application for emergency writ of injunction to Supreme Court Justice Kennedy, a highly unusual move that has not been granted for the past twenty years. On October 21, 2010 the Brennan Center filed its Opposition to Plaintiffs' Application for a Writ of Injunction.
– 10/21/10
Kirk v. Carpeneti
In Kirk v. Carpeneti, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will determine if Alaska’s judicial selection system violates the federal Equal Protection Clause. The Brennan Center filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit, defending Alaska's merit selection system.
– 10/08/10
Conservative Party of New York State and Working Families Party v. New York State Board of Elections
The Conservative Party and the Working Families party -- represented by the Brennan Center for Justice and the law firm of Emery Celli Brinkerhoff & Abady -- filed a lawsuit challenging a discriminatory New York State policy for counting political party votes under a procedure known as "double voting."
– 09/15/10
Duncan et al. v. State of Michigan (Amicus Brief)
The Brennan Center, along with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and the Constitution Project, filed an amicus brief in a case before the Michigan Supreme Court case that seeks to address the constitutional insufficiency of the state's indigent defense system.
– 08/11/10