Case Summary
On January 15, 2015, four white voters filed a federal lawsuit against Dallas County, Texas, challenging the 2011 county commission redistricting plan as racially discriminatory and as diluting White voters’ voting strength in violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and § 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act (“VRA”). They sought a declaratory judgment the plan was unconstitutional and unlawful, an injunction barring the plan from future use, and for the court to require a new plan be implemented for the 2016 elections.
- In early May 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held a four-day bench trial.
- On August 23, 2018, the court held the plaintiffs failed to establish a racial gerrymandering claim or a § 2 claim. Plaintiffs filed their notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on September 21, 2018.
- On January 17, 2020, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision.
Case Library
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas - 3:15-cv-00131
- Original Complaint - 1/15/15
- Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 3/13/15
- Memorandum in Support of Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 3/13/15
- Memorandum in Support of Defendants' First Amended Motion to Dismiss - 4/16/15
- Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants' First Amended Motion to Dismiss - 5/7/15
- Defendants' Reply Brief in Support of their First Amended Motion to Dismiss - 5/21/15
- Memorandum Opinion and Order - 5/28/15
- Defendants' Original Answer - 6/11/15
- Second Amended Complaint - 7/10/15
- Defendants' Answer to Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint - 7/23/15
- Brief in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel Oral Hearing - 6/10/16
- Supplemental Brief in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel - 7/26/16
- Memorandum Opinion and Order 2 - 12/23/16
- Memorandum Opinion and Order 3 - 3/5/18
- Plaintiffs' Post-Trial Closing Brief - 5/11/18
- Defendants' Post-Trial Brief - 5/11/18
- Defendants' Response to Plaintiffs' Post-Trial Brief - 5/25/18
- Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants' Post-Trial Brief - 5/25/18
- Judgment - 8/23/18
- Notice of Appeal - 9/21/18
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - 18-11256