JURIST - Washington

The Washington Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Thursday that a voter approved measure requiring a super-majority vote by the state legislature in order to raise taxes is unconstitutional. The initiative was approved by voters on multiple occasions, but the majority ruled that the language of the state's con....... [more]

The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled Friday that permits to carry concealed weapons are not protected by the Second Amendment. The case involved a Washington state resident who filed a lawsuit against Denver and Colorado's Department of Public Safety. He was denied a concealed weapo....... [more]

On February 25, 2008, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee objecting to a Tennessee state law that required convicted felons to pay outstanding financial obligations, including restitution and child support....... [more]

On January 31, 2006, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill making it illegal to discriminate against individuals based on sexual orientation in the areas of housing, lending and employment. This legislation made Washington the 17th state to adopt such a bill. Since January 2006, that....... [more]

JURIST Guest Columnist Walter Smith, University of Washington School of Law Class of 2013, discusses Washington state legally recognizing same-sex marriage by popular vote...On December 6, Washington state certified its statewide election returns and officially became the first US state to begin leg....... [more]

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire on Wednesday certified the results of Referendum 74 which has legalized same-sex marriage in the state. The referendum gave Washington voters the choice to accept or reject the state same-sex marriage legislation, which was signed by the governor in February....... [more]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday warned Washington state that although voters in the state legalized marijuana last month, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. The DOJ announced that the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) still lists marijuana as an illegal substance, regardle....... [more]

Opponents of Washington's new law legalizing same-sex marriage conceded defeat Thursday in their efforts for a referendum veto. Referendum 74 gave Washington voters the choice to accept or reject the state same-sex marriage legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire in Feb....... [more]

The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the amended Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), which now includes gays and lesbians, is not retroactive in its effect. The WLAD was amended in 2006 to protect gays and lesbians against discrimination. The plaintiff sued her superior at the....... [more]

A judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Washington on Friday tentatively approved a settlement agreement between the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the City of Seattle relating to a DOJ investigation of the Seattle Police Department (SPD). Judge James Robart gave provision....... [more]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Oregon ruled in favor of the Vatican on Monday by holding that priests are not employees of the Holy See, the ecclesiastical, governmental and administrative capital of the Roman Catholic Church. The 10-year-old case was brought by a Seattle-are....... [more]