CASE SUMMARY
On March 14, 2022, a coalition of civil rights organizations and Louisiana voters filed a federal lawsuit against Louisiana’s Secretary of State challenging the state’s enacted legislative redistricting plans as diluting Black voters’ voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act (“VRA”). They sought a judicial declaration the enacted legislative plans violated the VRA, a permanent injunction barring the plans from use in future elections, a court order requiring the State to enact new, lawful plans by a certain deadline and for the court to adopt remedial plans if the State failed to do so.
- On April 12, 2022, the district court consolidated this case with two other pending challenges to Louisiana’s congressional and legislative redistricting plans, Robinson v. Ardoin and Galmon v. Ardoin.
- On May 17, 2022, the court allowed the State of Louisiana and the Presiding Officers of the Louisiana Legislature to intervene in the case as defendants.
- On August 30, 2022, the court stayed further proceedings pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Allen v. Milligan (then Merrill v. Milligan), a separate case out of Alabama concerning Section 2 of the VRA. SCOTUS issued its Allen decision on June 8, 2023, and the case was reopened shortly thereafter.
- The district court held a bench trial from November 27 to December 5, 2023.
- On December 7, 2023, the United States notified the court it would be intervening in the case to defend the constitutionality of Section 2 of the VRA.
- On February 8, 2024, the district court ruled in favor of plaintiffs and ordered the state to redraw its legislative maps. The state filed its notice of appeal a week later.
Related Cases: Robinson v. Ardoin, Galmon v. Ardoin
CASE LIBRARY
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana - No. 3:22-cv-178 [together with Nos. 3:22-cv-211, 3:22-cv-214]
- Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief - 3/14/22
- Scheduling Conference Order - 3/25/22
- Motion of the Presiding Officers of the Louisiana Legislature to Intervene - 4/4/22
- Amended Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief - 4/4/22
- Order - 4/12/22
- Answer and Affirmative Defenses to Amended Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief and Request for Three Judge Panel - 4/18/22
- The State of Louisiana's Motion to Intervene - 4/19/22
- Motion to Convene Three-Judge Court or, in the Alternative, to Certify an Interlocutory Appeal - 4/22/22
- Opposition to Motion to Intervene of the State of Louisiana by Attorney General Jeff Landry - 5/2/22
- Response in Opposition to the Defendants' Motion to Convene a Three-Judge Panel or, in the Alternative, to Certify an Interlocutory Appeal - 5/8/22
- Motion to Move the Scheduling Conference to an Earlier Date - 5/13/22
- Order Granting Intervention - 5/17/22
- Answer of Intervenors to Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief - 5/17/22
- Original Answer to Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint and Affirmative Defenses by Defendant-Intervenor, State of Louisiana, Through Attorney General Jeff Landry - 5/17/22
- Motion for Expedited Consideration - 5/18/22
- Order - 5/19/22
- Answer of Legislative Intervenors to Amended Complaint - 5/20/22
- Status Report - 6/9/22
- Joint Motion to Stay Proceedings - 7/18/22
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Stay Proceedings - 8/8/22
- Exhibit List to Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Stay Proceedings - 8/10/22
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Status Conference - 8/11/22
- Legislative Intervenors' Memorandum in Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Status Conference - 8/12/22
- Motion for Leave to File Reply - 8/15/22
- Consent Motion to Modify the Scheduling Order - 8/19/22
- Reply in Support of Joint Motion to Stay Proceedings - 8/22/22
- Scheduling Order - 8/23/22
- Order of Administrative Closure - 9/1/22
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Proposed Pre-Trial Schedule - 6/29/23
- Defendants' Joint Supplemental Notice of Proposed Pre-Trial Schedule - 7/3/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Joint Supplemental Notice of Proposed Pre-Trial Schedule - 7/4/23
- Defendants' Joint Reply Notice to Plaintiffs' Opposition [...] and Request for Supplemental Scheduling Conference - 7/5/23
- Defendants' Joint Motion for Continuance of the November 27, 2023, Trial Date - 7/12/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Joint Motion for Continuance of the November 27, 2023, Trial Date - 7/14/23
- Scheduling Order - 7/17/23
- Intervenor Defendants' Motion to Continue the [...] Trial Date and for Modification of Scheduling Order - 7/19/23
- Motion for Expedited Consideration and Accelerated Briefing Schedule on Motion for Continuance - 7/19/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Intervenor Defendants' Motion for Continuance [...] - 7/26/23
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Protective Order - 8/9/23
- Defendants' Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Protective Order - 8/16/23
- Legislative Intervenors' Memorandum in Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Protective Order - 8/16/23
- Order Denying Plaintiffs' Motion for Protective Order - 8/17/23
- Joint Request for a Status Conference - 8/23/23
- Order - 8/30/23
- Consent Motion for Protective Order Governing SOS 000948 - 8/31/23
- Order - 9/1/23
- Defendant's Motion to Compel - 9/1/23
- Consent Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Jarrett Lofton and Alexis Calhoun - 9/1/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Compel - 9/6/23
- Order Denying Defendants' Motion to Compel - 9/8/23
- Order Granting Consent Motion for Protective Order - 9/14/23
- Defendant's motion to Review and Objections to the Magistrate Judge's Order Denying Defendant's Motion to Compel - 9/22/23
- Joint Motion In Limine to Exclude Dr. Lisa Handley's Testimony and Reports - 10/6/23
- Joint Motion for Summary Judgment - 10/6/23
- Consent Motion for Leave to Exceed Page Limitation - 10/6/23
- Plaintiffs' Exhibit List in Support of Motion to Exclude Proposed Expert Testimony - 10/10/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition in Response to Defendant's Motion to Review and Objections to [...] Order Denying Defendant's Motion to Compel - 10/13/23
- Consent Motion to Amend Scheduling Order - 10/16/23
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Exclude the Proposed Testimony of Sean Trende, Dr. Douglas Johnson, and Dr. Tumulesh K.S. Solanky - 10/16/23
- Order - 10/27/23
- Defendants' Joint Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Omnibus Motion to Exclude Proposed Expert Testimony - 10/27/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment - 10/27/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Motion in Limine to Exclude Dr. Lisa Handley's Testimony and Reports - 11/2/23
- Order - 11/2/23
- Joint Supplemental Brief in Support of Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment - 11/7/23
- Plaintiffs' Supplemental Brief in Opposition to Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment - 11/7/23
- Ruling - 11/7/23
- Ruling - 11/8/23
- Ruling - 11/9/23
- Defendants' Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law - 11/9/23
- Notice of Constitutional Question - 11/9/23
- Plaintiffs' Pre-Trial Proposed Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law - 11/9/23
- Defendants Reply in Support of Summary Judgment - 11/13/23
- Ruling - 11/14/23
- Joint Motion to Stay Proceedings - 11/22/23
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendants' Joint motion to Stay Proceedings - 11/24/23
- Joint Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint or, in the Alternative, Joint Motion for Certification for Interlocutory Appeal - 11/29/23
- United States' Notice of Intervention Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2403(a) - 12/7/23
- Brief of the United State on the Constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act - 12/19/23
- Defendants' Post-Trial Brief - 12/19/23
- Plaintiffs' Post-Trial Brief - 12/19/23
- Joint Motion to Strike Plaintiffs' Post-Trial Brief - 12/20/23
- Plaintiffs' Response in Opposition to Defendants' Joint Motion to Strike Plaintiffs' Post-Trial Brief - 12/20/23
- Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Joint Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs' Mended Complaint [...] - 12/20/23
- Motion for Leave to Substitute Pleading - 1/11/24
- Ruling and Order - 2/8/24
- Appendix to Ruling and Order - 2/8/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Set Schedule for Remedial Proceedings - 2/12/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Scheduling Conference - 2/12/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Special Election and Expedited Briefing Schedule - 2/13/24
- Consent Motion to Appear by Videoconference - 2/15/24
- Ex Parte Motion for Leave to Participate Remotely - 2/16/24
- Notice of Appeal - 2/19/24
- Notice of Appeal - 2/19/24
- Ex Parte Motion for Leave to Participate Remotely - 2/19/24
- Joint Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motions for Special Election and Scheduling Order - 2/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to File Reply in Support of Motion for Special Election - 2/22/24
- Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for Scheduling Conference - 3/5/24
- Legislative Intervenors' Notice of Appeal - 3/6/24
- Joint Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for Scheduling Conference - 3/13/24
- Legislative Intervenors' Opposition to Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for Scheduling Conference - 3/13/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Service of Remedial Maps and Supporting Expert Reports - 3/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motion for Special Election - 4/10/24
- Ruling and Order - 5/3/24
- Joint Status Report Pursuant to May 3, 2024, Order - 6/7/24
- Consent Motion to Appear by Videoconference - 7/8/24
- Legislative Intervenors' Motion for Leave to Participate Remotely - 7/11/24
- Minute Entry - 7/17/24
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Correct the Record on Appeal - 8/22/24
- Notice of Admitted Exhibits Missing from Record on Appeal - 8/23/24
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - No. 24-30115
- United States' Motion to be Added [...] as Intervenor-Appellee [...] - 3/1/24
- Order - 3/8/24
- Letter to the Clerk of the Fifth Circuit Regarding the Passing of Thomas A. Farr - 4/8/24
- Motion for Extension of Time to File Appellant's Brief by Defendant-Appellant Nancy Landry - 4/8/24
- Plaintiffs-Appellees' Response to Secretary Landry's Motion to Extend Time to File Brief - 4/9/24
- Order - 4/10/24
- Consent to Request for Level 1 Extension of Time - 4/11/24
- Unopposed Request for Level 1 Extension of Time - 4/12/24
- Petition for Initial Hearing En Banc - 4/23/24
- Opposition of the United States to Appellants' Petition for Initial Hearing En Banc - 5/3/24
- Letter to the Clerk of the Fifth Circuit from the ACLU - 5/3/24
- Plaintiffs'-Appellees' Response to Appellants' Petition for Initial Hearing En Banc - 5/3/24
- Ruling and Order of the Middle District - 5/8/24
- Motion for Immediate Circulation of the Petition for Initial Hearing En Banc and to Hold Briefing Schedule in Abeyance - 5/15/24
- Unpublished Order - 5/15/24
- Order - 5/22/24
- Order Denying Petition for Initial Hearing En Banc - 6/24/24
- Notice of Resumption of Briefing Schedule - 6/24/24
- Plaintiffs-Appellees' Motion to Expedite Appeal - 6/26/24
- Response to Plaintiffs-Appellees' Motion to Expedite Appeal - 6/28/24
- Unpublished Order - 7/1/24
- Brief of Appellant - 7/17/24
- Appellant's Record Excerpts - 7/17/24
- Opening Brief of Legislative Intervenor-Appellants - 7/17/24
- Record Excerpts of Legislative Intervenor-Appellants - 7/17/24
- The State of Louisiana's Opening Brief - 7/17/24
- Appellants' Record Excerpts - 7/17/24
- Brief of Alabama and 13 Other States as Amici Curiae Supporting Appellants and Reversal - 7/24/24
- Plaintiffs-Appellees' Motion for Extra Length - 7/26/24
- Order - 7/30/24
- Brief for the United States as Appellee - 8/16/24
- Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellees Dr. Dorothy Nairne, [...], LA NAACP, and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Inst. - 8/16/24
- Motion of Constitutional Accountability Center for Leave to File Amicus Curiae Brief [...] - 8/23/24
- Order - 8/23/24
- Motion of Voting Rights Historians for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae - 8/23/24
- Joint Motion for 7-Day Extension of Time to File Reply Briefs - 8/27/24
- Order - 8/29/24
- Order - 9/4/24
- Brief of Voting Rights Historians as Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellees - 9/4/24
- Emergency Unopposed Joint Motion for 5-Day Extension of Time to File Reply Briefs - 9/10/24
- Order - 9/11/24
- Reply Brief of Legislative Intervenor-Appellants - 9/18/24
- Appellant's Reply Brief - 9/18/24
- The State of Louisiana's Reply Brief - 9/18/24