An expected appeal of the state’s voter ID law to the commonwealth’s shorthanded Supreme Court could result in a deadlocked ruling along political party lines. The state’s top appellate court typically has seven members, but has been one shy since the suspension of Republican Joan Orie Melvin due to her pending criminal charges. The remaining six justices are split evenly with three Democrats and three Republicans. A majority of at least four justices would be required to overturn the Commonwealth Court decision to uphold the law. Following Wednesday’s ruling from Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson, a Republican, on the Republican-driven proposal, as well as a recent comment from a top House Republican that the law would “allow” the GOP presidential nominee to win Pennsylvania, Senate Democrats said Wednesday that a partisan outcome would be “particularly disturbing.”
“I think this decision cries out for a unanimous or a 5-to-1 clear decision,” said Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery County. “Upholding a weak opinion by an evenly divided partisan court I think would send a terrible message about the integrity of our judicial process and the state of our politics in Pennsylvania.”
Legal experts said prognosticating on the court’s decision is tricky business. Ken Gormley, dean of Duquesne Law School, described the six jurists as “independent-minded. They’re not people who would try to throw the game for their own team,” Mr. Gormley said. “There are justices from both sides of the alleged divide making decisions that sometimes surprise you.”
Full Article: Voter ID appeal likely to be heard quickly by state Supreme Court – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.