The Massachusetts Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal to remove Donald Trump from the state’s presidential ballot, CBS News reported.
The State Ballot Law Commission met on January 18 to hear objections to Trump’s name appearing on the ballot from civil rights groups who cited Article Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.
However, on Monday, January 22, the commission unanimously dismissed the challenge, saying it lacked jurisdiction to remove Trump’s name.
The civil rights groups, along with a local law firm, appealed to the state Supreme Court, asking the justices to either declare Trump ineligible or order the commission to revisit their January 22 decision.
In denying the petition, state Supreme Court Justice Frank Gaziano wrote that legal challenges to the commission’s decision had “come too soon.” He said whether or not the State Ballot Law Commission has the jurisdiction or authority to consider objections to Trump’s eligibility to appear on the ballot would only be “ripe” if and when Trump is selected as the Republican nominee.
Justice Gaziano also noted that the US Supreme Court would soon be ruling on the question of Trump’s eligibility.
In a statement responding to the Massachusetts high court’s decision, Trump campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said challenges to Trump’s eligibility have been “defeated across the country” and the campaign believed that the Supreme Court would reach a “fair ruling” that would put the question to rest.
In early January, the US Supreme Court agreed to review the Colorado Supreme Court’s December ruling that found Trump ineligible to appear on the state’s primary and general election ballots.
The Court set an accelerated schedule for parties to submit filings in the appeal and scheduled oral arguments for February 8, with a decision expected to follow quickly.
Colorado is one of the many state primaries scheduled for Super Tuesday on March 5.
