United States Ninth Circuit

The state of Washington's "blanket" primary, in which voters choose candidates without being restricted to candidates of any particular party, unconstitutionally restrains plaintiffs' supporters' freedom of association.

Appellate Information

• Decided 09/15/2003
• Published 09/15/2003

Judges

• KLEINFELD, Circuit Judge., Before:  KLEINFELD, and McKEOWN, Circuit Judges, and BREYER, District Judge.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• David T. McDonald, Preston, Gates & Ellis, LLP, Seattle, WA, for appellants Democratic Party of Washington State, et al., John J. White, Livengood, Carter, Tjossem, Fitzgerald & Alskog, Kirkland, WA, for appellants Republican State Committee of Washington, et al., Richard Shepard, Shepard Law Office, Tacoma, WA, for appellants Libertarian Party of Washington State, et al.


• For Appellees:
  
• James K. Pharris (argued and briefed), Senior Assistant Attorney General, Olympia, WA, and Jeffrey T. Even (briefed), Assistant Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for appellee Sam Reed., James M. Johnson, Olympia, WA, for appellees Washington State Grange, et al.