Case Summary
The Michigan Republican Party and five party members filed suit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s newly created Citizen Redistricting Commission. Plaintiffs alleged that the Commission's mandated partisan composition and member eligibility requirements infringed upon individuals' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of speech, association, and equal protection. Plaintiffs sought both preliminary and permanent injunctive relief preventing the Secretary of State from implementing, administering, or otherwise enforcing the commission.
On September 11, 2019 the case was consolidated with Daunt v. Benson.
On November 25, 2019 the district court denied the plaintiffs’ motions for preliminary injunctions, which plaintiffs subsequently appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On April 15, 2020 the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of the plaintiffs' motions for preliminary injunctions, and later denied the plaintiffs' motion for rehearing en banc on June 18.
The district court granted the defendants' motion to dismiss the case on July 6, 2020, which the Daunt plaintiffs then appealed to the Sixth Circuit on August 3, 2020. Oral arguments for the two consolidated cases were held on March 17, 2021. On May 27, 2021 the Sixth Circuit ruled that the redistricting commission's eligibility requirements did not violate the First or the Fourteenth Amendments. On June 21, 2021 the court issued its mandate, bringing the case to a close.
Case Library
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan - 1:19-cv-00669
- Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief - 8/22/19
- Intervenor-Defendant's Answer and Affirmative Defenses - 9/10/19
- Opinion - 11/25/19
- Order - 9/11/19
- Motion to Dismiss and Judgment - 9/19/19
- Motion to Dismiss and Judgment 2 - 9/19/19
- Plaintiffs' Notice of Interlocutory Appeal - 11/26/19
- Appeal Docketed - 11/27/19
- Opinion and Order - 7/6/20
- Judgment - 7/6/20
- Notice of Appeal - 8/3/20
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - 19-2420
- Case Docketed - 12/9/19
- Brief of Appellants - 12/24/19
- Brief for Defendant-Appellee - 2/3/20
- Brief of Defendant-Appellee - 2/3/20
- League of Women Voters Amicus Brief - 2/7/20
- Common Cause Amicus Brief - 2/10/20
- Brennan Center Amicus Brief - 2/14/20
- Opinion and Judgment Filed - 4/15/20
- Plaintiff-Appellants' Petition for Rehearing En Banc - 5/13/20
- Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Response to Daunt Plaintiffs' Petition for Rehearing En Banc - 5/29/20
- Order - 6/19/20
- Mandate Issued - 6/29/20
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - 20-1734 (together with Daunt v. Benson)
- Case Docketed - 8/4/20
- Order - 9/21/20
- Opening Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants - 11/12/20
- Brief of Defendant-Appellee Count MI Vote d/b/a Voters not Politicians - 12/14/20
- Brief for Defendant-Appellee Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson - 1/11/21
- Reply Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants - 2/1/21
- Additional Citation - 2/17/21
- Opinion and Judgment - 5/27/21
- Mandate - 6/21/21