The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the administration of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a suit brought against the state by Ben Latham. Latham sued because Palin, while still governor, and then-Attorney General Talis Colberg failed to challenge the constitutionality of 1995 legislation that "modified the jurisdiction of the court of appeals to hear excessive sentence appeals."
Latham's lawsuit was dismissed in superior court and appealed to the Supreme Court. Latham was found guilty in the 1980s of robbing a grocery store and then stealing a car in the getaway. He pleaded no contest but reserved right to appeal. He was sentenced to eight and a half years, with a year and a half suspended. After getting out and being placed on probation, Latham faced another charge of criminal mischief from the state and his probation was revoked on the basis that he'd violated its terms. In 1994, his probation for the first two charges was extended based on a third charge -- and it was that extension that formed the crux of his alleged violation of constitutional rights. COURT DOCUMENT
Source:
Alaska Dispatch: Alaska Supreme Court rules in Latham v. Palin
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