U.S. District Court Judge Andrea Robin Wood has again postponed a decision in Libertarian Party of Illinois v Illinois State Board of Elections, n.d., 1:12cv2511. The issue is the state’s unique law that says newly-qualifying parties must run a full slate of candidates.
The case was filed in 2012 and still hasn’t had a decision on whether the law is constitutional or not. Earlier the case had been assigned to Judge Joan B. Gottshall, who enjoined the law and said it is probably unconstitutional. Then Judge Wood was appointed by President Obama. When new judges are appointed, cases are transferred from already-sitting judges to the new judges, to even out the workload and give the new judges some work.
Judge Wood said on February 12, 2015, that she would rule by March 11. But on March 10 she postponed her decision to March 24. Then, on March 23, she postponed it to March 28. No decision was released. On April 6, Judge Wood said she would have it out by April 16. But on April 16 she said she did not have it ready, but that it would probably be out by April 30, and definitely before a status conference to be held May 14. But on May 13 she cancelled the status conference, and the decision still has not been released.
Judge Wood is either particularly inefficient, stalling the matter so she won’t have to reveal a decision (or prejudice), or else determined to continue to put the matter off and thus leave third parties in limbo not knowing what to do.
My guess is that the political bosses haven’t yet been able to give her a decision that serves their interests but isn’t total legal BS. And to her credit, so far she’s been able to hold out for a ruling that’s at least vaguely plausible. Next I suppose she’ll recuse herself and the whole thing will be re-argued.