Update on League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Blackwell

by Jon Greenbaum

December 2, 2005: Chief Judge James L. Carr, the federal judge presiding over our historic lawsuit, League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Blackwell, denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss our complaint and held that our lawsuit alleges sufficient facts that, if proven at trial, would establish Constitutional violations by Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and Governor Bob Taft. In February of 2006, Judge Carr issued another favorable decision, once again rejecting arguments made by Secretary Blackwell and Governor Taft that they are immune from our legal claims under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Judge Carr determined that this argument by Secretary Blackwell and Governor Taft was "frivolous," and that our lawsuit should go forward. The proceedings before Judge Carr have been stayed while Defendants seek an appeal of Judge Carr’s rulings in our favor.