In Florida a dispute arises. There is a disagreement about a series of facts and the laws that should be used to interpret them. The parties turn to the court system for resolution. Because the laws in question are state laws, the dispute is argued in the Florida courts.
The evidence and laws are presented to the court, which decides on a set of actions. The original outcome is appealed, and eventually the Florida Supreme Court is asked to decide. The Florida Supreme Court takes the case and makes a decision that is consistent with the law, but inevitably favors one party over the other.
Despite the absence of federal issues in dispute, important powers in D.C. want to overrule the decision of the Florida courts. It seems to legal scholars that there are no federal issues at stake, and the case should not be argued in the federal courts. The D.C. politcos are not going to let an "arcane" legal argument like this get in the way of their headstrong resolve to see this case decided in a way counter to their interests, and the case ends up in the federal courts.
I am, of course, describing Bush v. Gore case of Nov-Dec 2000.