Three Huge Civil Rights Rulings to Be Released Thursday Morning in Wisconsin

Update: In other legal news, another of Scott Walker's attempts to grab power, Walker's judicial ally's halting the John Doe probe looking into the criminal scheme of which Walker was central, is set to be heard in oral arguments on September 9 before a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa halted the John Doe probe in early May in Eric O’Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc. v Francis Schmitz.

Also, the U.S. "Department of Justice today intervened in the ACLU of Wisconsin voting rights case, filing an amicus brief in opposition to the voter ID law," the ACLU reports.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is poised to make three historic rulings on Photo Voter ID (Act 23); Act 10 curtailing freedom to form public workers' unions; and the law codifying right of same-sex couples to receive domestic partner benefits. (Stein, Ferguson, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

The cases are:

• League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network, Inc. v. Scott Walker, et al. combined with Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP v. Scott Walker
• Madison Teachers, Inc. v. Scott Walker
• Julaine K. Appling, et al. v. James E. Doyle, et al

All of the cases represent part of Scott Walker and the right wing's legislative attempt to codify the authority of their temporary partisan majority in the legislative and executive branch to take away rights and political power of disfavored citizens.

The cases' opinions can be found at the "Today's Released Supreme Court Opinions" link on Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Central Time, barring any technical difficulties, according to a clerk reached at the Wisconsin Supreme Court this morning.

Most observers predict the Court will strike down the photo Voter ID law because of Wisconsin's expansive protection of the right to vote.

Act 10 curtailing the right to form public unions will likely be upheld by the four-three right wing Court majority.

And I have no idea what the Court will do with the domestic partnership statute signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle on June 29, 2009.