Maine’s high court declined Wednesday to consider the decision from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion on a similar case in Colorado.
Bellows argued a Maine court should settle the state law issues raised in her ruling before then to avoid harm and confusion for voters.
The Supreme Judicial Court said in its Wednesday evening decision it rarely considers appeals before trial court decisions are final.
“Our final judgment rule exists for situations such as this, where other decision makers’ choices are likely to alter the landscape of the case and narrow the scope of our review,” the court said in its 19-page ruling.
Bellows had appealed to the high court last week and sought its opinion on her Dec. 28 decision to disqualify Trump from the March 5 primary after finding he violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause by inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Maine and Colorado are the only two states that have ruled Trump ineligible for the Republican primary, which is on March 5 in both states. Trump appealed the Maine and Colorado decisions to higher courts.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hold oral arguments in the momentous case over Trump’s eligibility on Feb. 8. Bellows argued a Maine court should settle the state law questions before then to avoid harming and confusing voters.
“This uncertainty is, however, precisely what guides our decision not to undertake immediate appellate review in this particular case,” the Supreme Judicial Court said in its unsigned opinion, also noting Bellows had stayed the effect of her December ruling until a final court resolution.
Trump’s name in any case will appear on Maine primary ballots before the court battles conclude, including ballots sent Jan. 20 to overseas and military voters.
Bellows said last week her appeal was meant to ensure Maine’s high court had “the opportunity to weigh in now, before ballots are counted, promoting trust in our free, safe and secure elections.” She also said she would not comment further.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung applauded Wednesday’s Supreme Judicial Court decision and said Trump is confident the Supreme Court “will ultimately be fair and eliminate these meritless, sham ‘14th Amendment’ cases once and for all.”
