CASE SUMMARY

On May 3, 2022, a coalition of civil rights groups and Florida voters filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville, Florida, and the Duval County Supervisor of Elections challenging the City’s enacted City Council and Duval County School Board redistricting plans as unconstitutional. The plaintiffs alleged several City Council and School Board districts were racial gerrymanders and that the same City Council districts also violated the City Charter’s “logical and compact” redistricting criteria. They sought a judicial declaration the plans were unconstitutional, a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the plans from future use, and an order requiring a special election be held if relief could not be secured before the next regular election.

  • On October 12, 2022, the district court issued a preliminary injunction after finding the plaintiffs’ were likely to prevail on their racial gerrymandering claims and gave the City until November 8, 2022, to enact and file an interim remedial plan with the court.
  • The defendants appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on October 18 and requested stays from the district court and Eleventh Circuit, both of which were denied.
  • On November 8, 2022, the City filed its interim plans with the district court, which the plaintiffs filed objections to. On December 19, the court rejected the City’s plan and ordered one of the plaintiffs’ proposals be used in the interim pending a final judgment in the case.
  • The defendants appealed to the Eleventh Circuit on December 23 and requested a stay, which was denied on January 6, 2023.
  • On March 31, 2023, the case was stayed when the parties entered into settlement negotiations.
  • On May 30, 2023, the district court approved the parties’ settlement agreement wherein the City agreed to implement plaintiffs’ “P3” redistricting plan proposal for the remainder of the decade in exchange for the dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims.

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division - No. 3:22-cv-493

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - No. 22-13544

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - No. 22-14260