CASE SUMMARY
On March 16, 2022, a coalition of voting rights organizations and Utah voters filed a state lawsuit against the Utah State Legislature, the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee, the state’s Lieutenant Governor, and several state legislators challenging the state’s enacted congressional redistricting plan as a partisan gerrymander in violation of the Utah Constitution’s Free Elections, Equal Protection, Free Speech and Association, and Voter Qualification Clauses. They also allege the state legislature violated the Utah Constitution’s citizen lawmaking authority by repealing the redistricting reforms enacted via ballot initiative “Proposition 4,” which included the transfer of redistricting authority to an independent commission and mandatory anti-gerrymandering provisions. They sought a judicial declaration the enacted plan and legislature’s repeal violated the Utah Constitution, an injunction barring the plan from use in future elections and barring enforcement of the act which repealed the reforms, and for the court to require a new, lawful plan be enacted or adopted.
- On October 24, 2022, the trial court granted dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims involving the repealed redistricting reforms but refused to dismiss the partisan gerrymandering claims.
- On November 14, 2022, the State filed a petition with the Utah Supreme Court requesting a direct appeal of the trial court’s decision on their motion to dismiss, which the Court granted.
- Oral arguments were held before the Utah Supreme Court on July 11, 2023.
CASE LIBRARY
Utah District Court, Salt Lake County - No. 220901712
- Complaint - 3/16/22
- Defendants' Joint Motion to Stay and Memorandum in Support - 7/21/22
- Ruling and Order Denying Defendants' Joint Motion to Stay - 8/22/22
- Summary Ruling Denying in Part and Granting in Part Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 10/24/22
Supreme Court of the State of Utah - No. 20220991-SC
- Petition for Permission to Appeal an Interlocutory Order - 11/14/22
- Brief of Petitioners - 3/31/23
- Opening Brief of LWV of Utah - 3/31/23
- Notice of Oral Argument - 4/6/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae The Honest Elections Project in Support of Reversal - 4/7/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center in Support of Appellees and Cross-Appellants (Plaintiffs) - 4/7/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae Representatives [...] in Support of Reversal - 4/7/23
- Response Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] - 5/12/23
- Addenda to Response Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 - 5/12/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of Professor Bertrall Ross in Support of Plaintiffs-Respondents [...] - 5/19/23
- Amicus Brief of Political Science Professors Supporting Appellees and Cross-Appellants and Affirmance - 5/19/23
- Brief of Professor Charles Fried as Amicus Curiae in Support of Reversal of the District Court Decision - 5/19/23
- Brief of Amicus Curiae Common Cause in Support of Reversal - 5/19/23
- Brief of Bipartisan Former Governors [...] Supporting Plaintiffs-Respondents - 5/19/23
- Brief of Rural Utah Project [...] in Support of Appellees/Cross-Appellants - 5/19/23
- Brief of Amici Curiae ACLU and ACLU of Utah in Support of Respondents - 5/19/23
- Amicus Curiae Brief of the Brennan Center [...] in Support of Respondents and Affirmance - 5/19/23
- Brief of Respondents Utah State Legislature - 5/19/23
- Order - 5/25/23
- Reply Brief of League of Women Voters of Utah [...] - 6/16/23
- Reply Brief of Petitioners - 6/16/23
- Supplemental Briefing Order - 7/13/23
- Notice of Supplemental Authority - 7/14/23
- Notice of Supplemental Authority - 12/4/23