On December 22, the defendants in North Carolina Democratic Party v Berger, m.d., 1:17cv-1113, filed their first response. This is the case concerning the recent law that abolishes primaries for judicial office. The Defendants say the legislature may repeal or amend the law in early 2018. Because the defendants are leaders of both houses of the legislature, this statement is meaningful. The legislature convenes on January 10, 2018.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Hacks (esp. top hacks) *may* say and do any rotted thing possible to keep and increase their evil power.
NO primaries.
PR and AppV
The response is to provide time for the defendants to respond. It is also possible that the defendants are reacting to the reassignment of the case to one of the judges in the legislative redistricting case. You may recall that the judges in that case had made their decision in summer of 2016 (the case had not been filed until 2015, the plaintiffs were apparently content to let the districts be used in 2012 and 2014, or perhaps the lawyers were busy with other litigation, and were not available for the federal case). Since it was just months before the 2016 election, the judges let the 2016 elections go on, but were proposing special elections in 2017, which would necessarily truncate terms elected to less than a year later.
The SCOTUS slapped the court down hard, and the 3-judge panel appears to be sulking. After the legislature drew new districts, the district court began its review. They have yet to produce a decision, which might be appealed or to which the legislature could respond. They have hinted at what they don’t like, including a novel interpretation of the North Carolina constitution, and hired a special master to draw a map to remedy what they have not yet officially identified as needing remedy.
Hack delays in action —
DELAY-DELAY-DELAY — keep getting past the next election.
Will the SCOTUS HACKS EVER bring down the election LAW HAMMER on HACK skulls ???
A mere 2017-1789 = 228 years and counting.