Federal judge strikes down Virginia state law binding delegates to Donald Trump

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published 11 July 2016

In a victory for #NeverTrump voters, a federal judge ruled Monday that Virginia's law binding delegates to vote for Donald Trump is unconstitutional because it violates their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Republican delegate Carroll Correll, Jr., brought the case to the courts July 7, with his attorneys arguing Correll should be able to "vote his conscience" regardless of Virginia's state law compelling delegates to vote for Trump, who won the state's primary back in March.

As it stands now, the ruling is a symbolic victory, as Trump delegates from Virginia are still bound to the presumptive nominee per party rules and those set by the Republican National Committee at the party convention, which takes place next week. Read the federal judge's full decision here.