No. 20-1100

Paul Rodriguez, et al. v. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2021-02-10
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: electoral-college equal-protection first-amendment political-parties presidential-election summary-affirmance vote-dilution voting-rights
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw DueProcess FirstAmendment Trademark JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2021-06-10 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Do the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment prohibit California's winner-take-all system for appointing presidential electors?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Petitioners are two California Republicans and two non-profit organizations who have alleged their votes for President and Vice President are diluted by California’s use of the so-called winner-take-all system. That system, by law, results in the appointment of members of only one political party to the Nation’s largest electoral college delegation. The Ninth Circuit held that a claim brought under the Equal Protection Clause was properly dismissed because it was governed by a summary affirmance from over fifty years ago. It dismissed a claim brought under the First Amendment on independent grounds. The questions presented are: (1) Do the Equal Protection Clause, the First Amendment, or both prohibit California—and, by the same reasoning, all the States—from appointing a one-party slate of presidential electors, thereby rendering irrelevant and ineffective the votes and views of millions of voters? (2) Does a_ fifty-year-old summary affirmance control, even where significant developments in election law since then have undermined its foundation and where the lower courts are split as to the proper scope of summary affirmances?

Docket Entries

2021-06-14
Petition DENIED.
2021-05-25
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/10/2021.
2021-05-19
Reply of petitioners Paul Rodriguez, et al. filed.
2021-05-07
Brief of respondents Gavin Newsom, et al. in opposition filed.
2021-03-23
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 7, 2021.
2021-03-22
Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 7, 2021 to May 7, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
2021-03-08
Response Requested. (Due April 7, 2021)
2021-03-03
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/19/2021.
2021-02-25
Waiver of right of respondents Gavin Newsom, et al. to respond filed.
2021-02-05
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 12, 2021)

Attorneys

Gavin Newsom, et al.
Samuel Passchier SiegelCalifornia Department of Justice, Respondent
Paul Rodriguez, et al.
David BoiesBoies Schiller Flexner LLP, Petitioner