Case Summary

Plaintiffs, nine African-American voters, challenged Louisiana’s 2011 congressional districting plan claiming it violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs alleged that the state legislature packed minority voters into one congressional district while splitting other minority voters across three separate districts. Plaintiffs asked the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana to declare that the map violated the Voting Rights Act and to enjoin the state from using the map in the future. Plaintiffs also asked the district court to order the state to adopt a new congressional map that included an additional majority-minority district.

Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss was denied. Subsequently, Defendant Secretary of State filed a third-party complaint against U.S. Justice Department due to the DOJ’s issuance of preclearance for the 2011 plan. Defendant also moved to stay the case pending the resolution of the Fifth Circuit’s en banc review of Thomas v. Bryant, a case involving similar issues as were raised in Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss. On October 17, 2020, the district court granted the Defendant's motion to stay the case pending the result in Thomas, but subsequently denied the defendant's motion for reconsideration of their motion to dismiss on April 22, 2020. On September 29, 2020, the district court judge lifted the stay in light of the Fifth Circuit's final holding in Thomas.

On October 13, 2020, the case was dismissed with prejudice following a joint stipulation of dismissal submitted by the parties.

Case Library

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana - 3:18-cv-00625

• Complaint - 6/13/18
• Motion to Dismiss - 7/31/18
• Joint Status Report - 8/9/18
• Amended Complaint - 8/21/18
• Motion to Dismiss First Amended Complaint - 9/10/18
• Memorandum in Support of Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs' First Amendment Complaint - 9/10/18
• Plaintiffs' Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant's Second Motion to Dismiss - 10/12/18
• Order - 3/12/19
• Order - 5/10/19
• Ruling on the Motion to Dismiss First Amended Complaint - 5/31/19
• Ruling on Motion to Expedite - 8/28/19
• Order on Motion for Miscellaneous Relief - 9/4/19
• Defendant's Response to Plaintiffs' Notice of Additional Authority - 9/10/19
• Ruling on the Motion for Certification of Order for Interlocutory Appeal - 9/12/19
• Defendant's Motion for Reconsideration of the Court's Denial of his Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint - 9/16/19
• Plaintiffs' Memorandum in Support of Motion to Compel Discovery - 9/18/19
• Original Answer to Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint and Affirmative Defenses - 9/23/19
• Defendant Secretary of State's Motion to Stay - 9/25/19
• Third Party Complaint - 10/7/19
• Plaintiff's Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Reconsideration - 10/7/19
• Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Stay - 10/16/19
• Memorandum in Support of Motion by Attorney General and Department of Justice to Dismiss Third-Party Complaint - 12/9/19
• Motion to Dismiss Exhibit 4 - 12/9/19
• Ruling on Motion for Reconsideration - 4/22/20
• Order - 9/29/20
• Joint Stipulation of Dismissal - 10/8/20
• Final Judgment - 10/13/20
• General Order - 10/13/20