Latest 2 Cases: Jones v. Secretary of State (Election Law), In re Estate of Robert W. Kerwin (Trusts & Estates)

Reflections on the Pending Supreme Court Challenge to the Affordable Care Act in California v. Texas: Part One in a Series

VIKRAM DAVID AMAR, EVAN CAMINKER, JASON MAZZONE

In this first of a series of columns on the latest prominent challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Illinois law dean Vikram David Amar, Michigan Law dean emeritus Evan Caminker, and Illinois law professor Jason Mazzone examine the stare decisis effects of the Supreme Court’s initial blockbuster decision involving the ACA. The authors demonstrate several, perhaps surprising, ways that the earlier decision should shape how the Court views the present challenge.

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Jones v. Secretary of State

Citation: 2020 ME 117

Opinion Date: October 1, 2020

Judge: Per Curiam

Areas of Law: Election Law

The Supreme Judicial Court denied the motion filed by Plaintiffs to stay the effect of the mandate of this Court's decision issued in this matter on September 22, 2020 pending Plaintiffs' petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States, holding that Plaintiffs did not satisfy the test in order to stay the effect of the mandate. Plaintiffs argued that they will suffer irreparable harm if a stay is not granted because the ranked-choice-voting law will be in effect for the November election despite what they argued were an adequate number of signatures in support of the people's veto petition. The Supreme Judicial Court declined to stay the mandate, holding (1) the balance of harms and the public interest weigh against this Court's grant of Plaintiffs' requested stay; and (2) Plaintiffs did not establish a substantial possibility of success on the merits.

In re Estate of Robert W. Kerwin

Citation: 2020 ME 116

Opinion Date: October 1, 2020

Judge: Andrew M. Mead

Areas of Law: Trusts & Estates

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the probate court granting in part Petitioner's petition for discovery of property pursuant to Me. Rev. Stat. 18-C, 3-110 but limiting the scope of the examination of Lorraine Kerwin, holding that Petitioner's notice of appeal was timely and that the limitation of the discovery was not an abuse of discretion. Petitioner's father, the decedent, married Kerwin in 2005. After the decedent died in 2018, Kerwin filed an application for informal probate of a will and appointment of a personal representative. Petitioner field a claim against the estate concerning certain real estate that was held in a trust and for which Kerwin was a trustee. Kerwin disallowed the claim. Petitioner then filed a petition for discovery of property asserting that the transfer of real estate to the trust was the result of undue influence or fraud. The probate court granted Petitioner's request to examine the creation of the decedent's trust but limited Petitioner's examination of Kerwin. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Petitioner's notice of appeal was timely filed; and (2) the court did not abuse its discretion in limiting discovery.