Case Summary

On May 8, 2017, a coalition of voting rights organizations, political parties, and voters filed a federal lawsuit against California’s Secretary of State challenging the California Constitution’s limit on the number of state legislators as unconstitutional. Plaintiffs argued that failing to increase the number of representatives to reflect California’s increasing populations impaired California voters’ right to self-governance in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s 1st Amendment, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause. They sought a declaratory judgment that California’s legislative apportionment scheme was unconstitutional and an injunction establishing a reformed legislative districting scheme.

  • On November 29, 2018, the federal district court dismissed the suit for lack of standing. Plaintiffs filed their notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on December 27, 2018.
  • On May 15, 2020, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal. Plaintiffs filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on October 13, 2020.
  • On December 14, 2020, SCOTUS denied certiorari.

Case Library

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California - 2:17-cv-00973

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - 18-17458

Supreme Court of the United States - 20-521