Olive applied to join the state registry of attorneys available to represent death row inmates in the event the capital collateral representatives could not do so due to conflict. In 1998 he was appointed to represent death-row inmate Anthony Mungin. Maas then asked Olive to sign the state contract required by law for all registry counsel. Olive refused on grounds it improperly restricted the lawyer-client relationship. Later, he sued, challenging portions of the registry counsel laws. The trial court rejected his claims, and the First District Court certified the case to the Supreme Court.