High Court Throws Out Petition Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed a challenge to Alaska’s signature-gathering laws because of lack of standing.

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Robert Raymond, of Shorewood, Wisconsin, filed his lawsuit against the State of Alaska in 2012. He believes his First Amendment rights are being violated because he is not allowed to distribute ballot petitions in Alaska unless he is a resident.

Three separate federal appeals courts have overturned similar laws in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Michigan. But because Raymond did not have a specific cause he wanted to work on and could not show he was immediately harmed by the law, the Ninth Circuit Court threw out his case on June 24.