A newly expanded Utah Supreme Court heard legal challenges to the legislature’s creation of a special court to hear lawsuits against laws the legislature passes.
On Monday, the justices heard arguments for nearly six hours in Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit challenging Utah’s near-total abortion ban; the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s lawsuit over independent redistricting; and litigation brought by a group of teens challenging Utah’s fossil fuel polices that they allege harm their health and contribute to climate change.
But the justices aren’t really getting to the merits of the cases. Instead, they’re deciding if the court created to hear legal challenges to the legislature’s laws is even legitimate.
“Whatever the court holds here could have lasting and bigger impacts moreso than just within the confines of this particular case,” said Tyler Green, an attorney representing the Utah State Legislature.
Shortly after passing the law earlier this year, the Utah State Legislature filed to have each one of the cases heard by the special three-judge panel. In each case, the plaintiffs resisted it.
“Switching to the three-judge panel in the middle of our case is kind of, at least dubious,” Lev Wickelson, one of the teen plaintiffs suing Utah’s Division of Oil, Gas & Mining, told FOX 13 News outside of court.
Read the story at Fox13Now.com.
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