Ala. Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama (575 U.S. 254)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 25, 2015 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 575 U.S. 254 · 135 S. Ct. 1257
- Decided
- March 25, 2015
- Term
- October Term 2014
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority author
- Justice Breyer
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice BREYERdelivered the opinion of the Court. The Alabama Legislative Black Caucus and the Alabama Democratic Conference appeal a three-judge Federal District Court decision rejecting their challenges to the lawfulness of Alabama's 2012 redistricting of its State House of Representatives and State Senate. The appeals focus upon the appellants' claims that new district boundaries create "racial gerrymanders" in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. See, e.g.,Shaw v. Hunt,517 U.S. 899, 907-908, 116 S.Ct. 1894, 135 L.Ed.2d 207 (1996)(Shaw II) (Fourteenth Amendment forbids use of race as " 'predominant' " district boundary-drawing " 'factor' " unless boundaries are "narrowly tailored" to achieve a " 'compelling state interest' " (citations omitted)). We find that the District Court applied incorrect legal standards in evaluating the claims. We consequently vacate its decision and remand the cases for further proceedings. I The Alabama Constitution requires the legislature to reapportion its State House and Senate electoral districts following each decennial census. Ala. Const., Art. IX, §§ 199-200. In 2012 Alabama redrew the boundaries of the State's 105 House districts and 35 Senate districts. 2012 Ala. Acts no. 602 (House plan); id.,at no. 603 (Senate plan) (Acts). In doing so, Alabama sought to achieve numerous traditional districting objectives,…
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