CASE SUMMARY
On November 15, 2021, a coalition of Alabama voters, a Birmingham religious organization, and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit against Alabama’s Secretary of State and the Co-Chairs of the Alabama Legislature’s legislative reapportionment committee challenging the State’s enacted legislative plans as violating the U.S. Constitution. They claimed several state Senate and state House districts were racial gerrymanders in violation of the 14th Amendment and sought a judicial declaration the plans were unconstitutional, a permanent injunction barring the plans from being used in future elections, and a court order requiring the State to enact remedial legislative plans that complied with the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.
- On March 21, 2022, the district court stayed the case pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in two consolidated challenges to Alabama’s congressional plan, Milligan v. Merrill and Caster v. Merrill. The court lifted the stay on June 9, 2023.
- On July 10, 2023, the plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint adding a claim that the state Senate plan diluted African-American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- On July 11, 2023, the district court issued an order scheduling trial for October 1, 2024. Trial was subsequently delayed until mid-November.
Similar Cases: Singleton v. Merrill; Milligan v. Merrill; Caster v. Merrill
CASE LIBRARY
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division - No. 2:21-cv-1531
- Complaint - 11/15/21
- Order Designating Three-Judge Court - 11/16/21
- Plaintiffs' Opposed Motion for Recusal - 12/8/21
- Defendants' Response in Opposition to Motion for Recusal - 12/30/21
- Plaintiffs' Reply Brief in Support of Recusal - 1/18/22
- Amended Complaint - 2/11/22
- Plaintiffs' Consent Motion to File Second Amended Complaint - 2/23/22
- Second Amended Complaint - 2/25/22
- Defendants' Motion to Partially Dismiss - 3/11/22
- Report of the Parties' Planning Meeting - 3/15/22
- Order Staying Case - 3/21/22
- Plaintiffs' Motion for a Status Conference - 3/28/22
- Order - 4/22/22
- Order - 5/19/22
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Modify Stay - 2/16/23
- Defendants' Response to Plaintiffs' Motion to Modify Stay - 3/7/23
- Order - 3/20/23
- Joint Status Report - 6/22/23
- Plaintiffs' Consent Motion to File Third Amended Complaint - 6/30/23
- Report of the Parties' Planning Meeting - 6/30/23
- Plaintiffs' Third Amended Complaint - 7/10/23
- Scheduling Order - 7/11/23
- Initial Order Governing All Further Proceedings - 7/13/23
- Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 7/24/23
- Defendants Rep. Pringle and Sen. Livingston's Motion to Dismiss - 7/24/23
- Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time - 8/24/23
- Secretary of State Wes Allen's Motion for a Protective Order (Unopposed) - 9/8/23
- Secretary of State Wes Allen's Motion for a Protective Order (Unopposed) - 9/21/23
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Exceed Page Limitation for Opposition to Defendants' Motions to Dismiss - 9/22/23
- Statement of Interest of the United States - 9/22/23
- Plaintiffs' Response in Opposition to Defendants' Motions to Dismiss - 9/22/23
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion for Leave to File Corrected Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 9/24/23
- Protective Order - 9/25/23
- Plaintiffs' Corrected Response in Opposition to Defendants' Motions to Dismiss - 9/25/23
- Defendants' Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 10/13/23
- Defendants Rep. Pringle's and Sen. Livingston's Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 10/13/23
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Supplemental Authority in Support of Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss - 11/14/23
- Defendants' Response to Plaintiffs' Notice of Supplemental Authority - 11/20/23
- Plaintiffs' Reply to Notice of Supplemental Authority - 11/21/23
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to File Fourth Amended Complaint - 12/1/23
- Defendants' Response in Partial Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Leave to Amend - 12/5/23
- Order - 12/5/23
- Fourth Amended Complaint - 12/6/23
- Order - 12/7/23
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Modify Scheduling Order - 12/19/23
- Order on Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Modify Scheduling Order - 12/19/23
- Defendants Pringle and Livingston's Motion to Dismiss the Fourth Amended Complaint - 12/20/23
- Secretary Allen's Motion to Dismiss - 12/20/23
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion for Leave to File a Consolidated Response to Defendants' Motions to Dismiss - 1/8/24
- Plaintiffs' Brief in Opposition to Defendants' Motions to Dismiss the Fourth Amended Complaint - 1/11/24
- Secretary Allen's Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 1/25/24
- Defendants [...] Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss - 1/25/24
- Order - 2/13/24
- Joint Motion to Modify Scheduling Order - 2/27/24
- Rep. Pringle's Answer to Plaintiffs' Fourth Amended Complaint - 2/27/24
- Sec. Allen's Answer to Plaintiffs' Fourth Amended Complaint - 2/27/24
- Amended Scheduling Order - 2/28/24
- Rep. Pringle's Corrected Answer to Plaintiffs' Fourth Amended Complaint - 3/1/24
- Joint Status Report - 5/3/24
- Order - 5/3/24
- Rep. Chris Pringle's Notice of Evidentiary Submission in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/21/24
- Secretary Allen's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Brief in Support - 6/21/24
- Rep. Pringle's Corrected Notice of Evidentiary Submission in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/21/24
- Rep. Chris Pringle's Motion for Summary Judgment - 6/21/24
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Dismiss Defendant Pringle - 7/11/24
- Order - 7/12/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Evidentiary Submission in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment - 7/19/24
- Plaintiffs' Brief in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment - 7/19/24
- Secretary Allen's Reply in Support of Partial Summary Judgment - 8/2/24
- Plaintiffs' Initial Witness List and Deposition Designations - 9/6/24
- Plaintiffs' Initial Trial Exhibit List - 9/6/24
- State Defendants' Exhibit List - 9/6/24
- State Defendants' Witness List - 9/6/24
- Order Setting Trial, Pretrial Conference, and Pretrial Deadlines - 9/16/24
- Motion to Exclude Selected Testimony of Mr. Anthony Fairfax and Dr. Kassra Oskooii - 9/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion in Limine to Preclude Irrelevant Evidence and Testimony - 9/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion in Limine to Preclude the Testimony of Dr. Adam Carrington - 9/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion to Preclude in Part Testimony of Defendants' Experts Drs. Wilfred Reilly and M.V. Hood III - 9/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Motion in Limine to Preclude Certain Testimony of Dr. Sean Trende - 9/20/24
- Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion to Seal & Refile Redacted Exhibits - 9/23/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Filing of Redacted Exhibits - 9/23/24
- State Defendant's Amended Exhibit List & Filing of Exhibits (1) - 9/24/24
- State Defendant's Amended Exhibit List & Filing of Exhibits (2) - 9/24/24
- Proposed Joint Stipulation of Dismissal of Khadidah Stone and Laquisha Chandler as Plaintiffs - 10/1/24
- Plaintiffs' Brief in Opposition to Secretary Allen's Motion to Exclude Selected Testimony [...] - 10/4/24
- Response to Plaintiffs' Motion in Limine to Preclude Certain Testimony of Dr. Sean Trende - 10/4/24
- Secretary Allen's Response in Opposition to Motions in Limine - 10/4/24
- Defendant's Response to Plaintiffs' Motion to Exclude the Testimony of Adam Carrington, Ph.D. - 10/4/24
- Joint Stipulation of Dismissal of Khadidah Stone and Laquisha Chandler as Plaintiffs - 10/8/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Submission of Trial Exhibits 1 - 10/10/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Submission of Trial Exhibits 2 - 10/10/24
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Submission of Trial Exhibits 3 - 10/10/24
- Secretary Allen's Unopposed Motion for Extension - 10/11/24
- Defendant's Reply in Support of Motion to Exclude Selected Testimony of Mr. Fairfax and Dr. Oskooii - 10/11/24
- Defendant Wes Allen's Objections to Plaintiffs' Initial Witness List and Deposition Designations - 10/11/24
- Secretary Allen's Objections to Plaintiffs' Exhibit List - 10/11/24
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motion in Limine to Preclude Certain Testimony of Dr. Sean Trende - 10/11/24
- Plaintiffs' Objections to Defendants' Initial Exhibit and Witness Lists - 10/11/24
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motion in Limine to Preclude the Testimony of Dr. Adam Carrington - 10/11/24
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motions to Exclude in Part Defendant's Experts [Drs. Reilly and Hood] and to Preclude Irrelevant Evidence and Testimony - 10/11/24
- Plaintiffs' List of Trial Participants - 10/22/24
- Secretary of State Allen's Notice of Trial Counsel - 10/22/24
- Pretrial Order - 10/23/24
- Joint Statement of Undisputed Facts - 10/24/24
- State Defendant's Amended Witness List - 10/29/24
- State Defendant's Second Amended Witness List - 10/29/24