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Moore v. Harper

No. 21-1271 SCOTUS · Decided SCOTUS
Argued: Dec 7, 2022 Decided: Jun 27, 2023


The Law · How the Case Works

Overview

Overview

The independent state legislature theory holds that when a state legislature draws federal congressional maps or sets federal election rules, it's acting under Article I and state courts have no power to review those decisions, not even under the state's own constitution. If prevailing, gerrymandered maps and suppressive election laws could have been insulated from state court challenge entirely. The Supreme Court rejected it 6-3, with Chief Justice Roberts writing that state courts retain authority to apply state constitutions to state legislatures, even in the federal election space.

The Conclusion

Conclusion

The Court rejected the independent state legislature theory 6-3. State courts retain authority to apply state constitutions to state legislatures, even in federal elections. Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the majority.

The Record · 1 original document
CourtSupreme Court of the United States
FiledMar 21, 2022
CL StatusActive
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No circuit court data for this case.

Cert Granted -
StatusActive
Filed (CL)Mar 21, 2022
View on CourtListener →
SCOTUS TMR-61f92c97 Jul 28, 2026

Related Cases (4)

direct precedent
  • U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton
    U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton is cited for the principle that historical figures who were not part of the Founding generation should be given less weight in constitutional interpretation.
  • Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
    The opinion cites Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona for the principle that the Elections Clause imposes a duty on state legislatures to prescribe rules governing federal elections.
  • Marbury v. Madison
    The active case cites Marbury v. Madison as relevant authority.
  • Baker v. Carr
    The active case cites Baker v. Carr as relevant authority.
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