United States Ninth Circuit

Washington's modified blanket primary as enacted by Initiative 872 is unconstitutional since it unconstitutionally burdens political parties' right of association under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and the unconstitutional provisions cannot be severed from the Initiative.

Appellate Information

• Argued 02/06/2006
• Decided 08/22/2006
• Published 08/22/2006

Judges

• FISHER, Circuit Judge., Before D.W. NELSON, PAMELA ANN RYMER and RAYMOND C. FISHER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Rob McKenna, Maureen A. Hart, Jeffrey T. Even and James K. Pharris (argued), Office of the Washington Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for the State of Washington (defendant-intervenor-appellant)., Thomas F. Ahearne (argued), Ramsey Ramerman and Rodrick J. Dembowski, Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC, Seattle, WA, for the Washington State Grange (defendant-intervenor-appellant)., John J. White, Jr. (argued) and Kevin B. Hansen, Livengood, Fitzgerald & Alskog, Kirkland, WA, for the Washington State Republican Party (plaintiff-appellee)., David T. McDonald (argued) and Jay Carlson, Preston Gates & Ellis, LLP, Seattle, WA, for the Washington State Democratic Central Committee (plaintiff-intervenor-appellee)., Richard Shepard (argued), Shepard Law Office, Inc., Tacoma, WA, for the Libertarian Party of Washington State (plaintiff-intervenor-appellee).