Supreme Court Report

Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →

Michael Doyle Ruggles v. David Y. Ige, Governor of Hawaii, et al.

IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 20-17410 · judgment March 9, 2021


Certiorari denied · October 4, 2021

Question presented

Does the State of Hawaii have a constitutional responsibility to draft laws that do not stand silent and create ambiguities? Hawaii’s medical cannabis law does not tell patients how to legally acquire cannabis plants and seeds to grow the cannabis medicine, therefore creating a legal problem for the created class. Is it constitutional for the State of Hawaii to create a vague and irreconcilably conflicted medical cannabis law and then allow a situation where for the last 21 years the Hawaii AG, Police and Prosecutors profit off of the conflict and commit racketeering crimes against sick people under the guise of federal prohibition of cannabis? How is it constitutional or equal protection of the law to draft a law that a separate class of 8 wealthy dispensary licensees can pay fees to the state and then have control of unlimited cannabis plants and medicine while after 21 years there is still no illegal way for the medical cannabis patients to obtain a cannabis seed or plant? Does a State have a responsibility to fix vague, ambiguous and conflicting laws or are they allowed to intentionally harm the created class indefinably for profit?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Michael Doyle Ruggles

For respondent
Lerisa L. Heroldt
County of Hawaii, Office of the Corporation Counsel

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Oct 04 2021
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Jul 22 2021
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/27/2021.
  3. Jul 09 2021
    Waiver of right of respondent Mitch Roth, Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Paul Ferreira, Hawaii County Police Department to respond filed.
  4. Jun 04 2021
    Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due July 14, 2021)