CASE SUMMARY

On March 23, 2022 a group of Michigan voters filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan's Secretary of State and the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and its Commissioners challenging the state's adopted state Senate and state House redistricting plans as violating the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. Plaintiffs' claims center around various legislative districts in and around Detroit, namely Senate districts 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11, and House districts 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 26. First, they assert the plans violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because they either eliminate or greatly diminish the majority-minority districts in those areas, thereby diluting the voting strength of Black voters. Second, they allege those districts are racial gerrymanders in violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause because they were drawn with race as the predominant consideration and such use of race can not be justified by compliance with Section 2 because the districts fail to comply with that provision. They are seeking a judicial declaration that the legislative plans violate the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution and a court order requiring the state to either redraw those districts or adopt the plaintiffs' proposed remedy map. Alternatively, if the state fails to do either option by the court's deadline, they are requesting the court appoint a special master and draw legally compliant legislative districts on its own.

Similar Case: Banerian v. Benson

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division - No. 1:22-cv-272

• Complaint - 3/23/22
• Letter to Court Requesting Three-Judge Panel - 3/25/22
• Order Appointing Three-Judge Panel - 3/29/22
• First Amended Complaint for Declaratory Relief - 4/13/22
• Stipulated Order Extending Time for Defendant Benson to Respond to Complaint - 6/1/22
• Defendant Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Motion to Dismiss - 6/14/22
• Defendant Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 6/14/22
• Commission Defendants' Answer to Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint - 6/17/22
• Plaintiffs' Brief in Opposition to Defendant Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Motion to Dismiss - 7/12/22
• Stipulated Order Extending Time for Defendant Benson to File Reply Brief - 7/27/22
• Defendant Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Reply Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 8/9/22
• Motion for Leave to File Brief of Amici Curiae Common Cause and Professor Jon X. Eguia in Support of Neither Party - 8/26/22
• Commission Defendants' Opposition to Motion for Leave to File Brief of Amici Curiae Common Cause and Professor Jon E. Eguia in Support of Neither Party - 9/9/22
• Order Denying Defendant Jocelyn Benson's Motion to Dismiss - 9/21/22
• Order Denying Motion for Leave to File Amici Brief - 9/26/22
• Defendant Benson's Answer to Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint - 10/5/22
• Joint Status Report - 10/17/22
• Case Management Order - 11/1/22
• Order Scheduling Motions Hearing - 12/14/22
• Plaintiffs' Expert Witness List - 12/28/22
• The Parties' Joint Motion for Leave to Permit Commission Defendants to Take Depositions After the Close of Discovery - 4/4/23
• Order Granting Motion for Leave for Commission Defendants to Take Depositions After the Close of Discovery - 4/6/23
• Consent Motion to Amend the Dispositive Motion Briefing Schedule Due to Deposition Transcript Availability - 5/3/23
• Order Granting Motion to Amend the Dispositive Motion Briefing Schedule - 5/4/23
• Plaintiffs' and the Commission's Joint Motion for Leave to File Joint Appendix - 5/4/23
• Order Granting Joint Motion to File Joint Appendix - 5/5/23
• Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment - 5/9/23
• The Commission's Motion for Summary Judgment - 5/9/23
• The Commission's Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment - 5/9/23
• Certificate Regarding Motion Concurrence - 5/9/23
• Joint Appendix - 5/9/23
• Defendant Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/6/23
• Plaintiffs' Brief in Opposition to the Commission Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/6/23
• The Commission's Brief in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/6/23