CASE SUMMARY
On February 10, 2022, a group of Maryland voters filed a petition with the Maryland Court of Appeals challenging the General Assembly’s legislative redistricting plan as violating various provisions of the Maryland Constitution and Maryland Declaration of Rights. Plaintiffs asserted several districts violated the Maryland Constitution’s redistricting criteria of contiguity, compactness, and due regard for natural and political subdivision boundaries, the plan was a partisan gerrymander designed to disproportionately favor Democrats in violation of their rights to free elections, freedom of speech, and equal protection under the Maryland Declaration of Rights, and by passing a partisan gerrymandered plan the General Assembly violated its duty to pass laws "necessary for the preservation of the purity of [e]lections" under Article I, § 7 of the Maryland Constitution. They sought a judicial declaration the plan was unconstitutional, an order requiring the General Assembly to enact a new, lawful plan, and for the court to order the adoption of the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission’s submitted plan if the state otherwise failed to adopt a new one.
- On February 11, 2022, the Court of Appeals consolidated this petition with three others challenging the legislative plan.
- On April 4, 2022, the court-appointed special magistrate submitted its report on the plan to the Court.
- On April 13, 2022, the Court issued an order upholding the plans as constitutional. On August 31, 2022, the Court released its full opinion explaining its decision.
CASE LIBRARY
Maryland Court of Appeals - Misc. No. 21 (consolidated with Misc. Nos. 24, 25, 26 & 27)
- Amended Scheduling Order - 2/3/22
- Scheduling Conference Order - 2/7/22
- Consolidation Order - 2/11/22
- Interim Scheduling Order No. 1 of Special Magistrate - 2/18/22
- Interim Scheduling Order No. 2 of Special Magistrate - 2/24/22
- Joint Consent Motion for Modification of Interim Scheduling Order No. 1 - 3/8/22
- Order - 3/9/22
- Order Regarding Discovery - 3/10/22
- Amended Order Regarding Discovery - 3/11/22
- Order Amending Election Dates - 3/15/22
- Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/4/22
- Scheduling Order for Exceptions to Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/4/22
- Order Denying Petitions - 4/13/22
- Order - 4/25/22
- Opinion - 8/31/22
Maryland Court of Appeals - Misc. No. 24
- Petition by David Whitney - 2/9/22
- Motion to Dismiss Petition - 2/15/22
- Amended Petition - 2/18/22
- Renewed Motion to Dismiss Petition - 2/22/22
- Response to the Renewed Motion to Dismiss Petition - 3/2/22
- Respondents' Proposed Findings of Fact and Applicable Legal Standards - 3/22/22
- Joint Stipulations of Fact - 3/23/22
Maryland Court of Appeals - Misc. No. 25
- Petition by Mark N. Fischer, et al. - 2/10/22
- Motion for Extension of Time - 2/15/22
- Order - 2/15/22
- Motion to Dismiss Petition - 2/15/22
- Respondents' Proposed Findings of Fact and Applicable Legal Standards - 3/22/22
- Petitioners' Proposed Findings of Fact, Proposed Governing Legal Standards, and Opposition to Respondent's Motion to Dismiss - 3/22/22
- Joint Stipulations of Fact - 3/23/22
- Respondent's Exhibits A-K - 3/23/22
- Plaintiff's Exhibits - 3/23/22
- Plaintiff's Exhibit 20 - 3/24/22
- Respondent's Exhibits X, Y, Z, AE and AF - 3/24/22
- Order Granting Leave to File Amicus Curiae Brief by Bipartisan Former Governors - 4/6/22
- Exceptions to the Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/8/22
- State of Maryland's Response to Exceptions to the Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/11/22
- Affidavit of Donna Duncan in Support of Memorandum Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22
- Memorandum From the State Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22
Maryland Court of Appeals - Misc. No. 26
- Petition by Brenda Thiam, et al. - 2/9/22
- Motion to Dismiss Petition - 2/15/22
- Respondents' Proposed Findings of Fact and Applicable Legal Standards - 3/22/22
- Petitioners' Memorandum of Law and Response to Respondents Motion to Dismiss - 3/22/22
- Joint Stipulations of Fact - 3/23/22
- Petitioners' Exceptions to Report of the Special Magistrate and Memorandum in Support Thereof - 4/8/22
- State of Maryland's Response to Exceptions to the Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/11/22
- Affidavit of Donna Duncan in Support of Memorandum Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22
- Memorandum From the State Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22
- Motion to Modify Order to Extend Time for Withdrawal of Certificate of Candidacy - 4/25/22
Maryland Court of Appeals - Misc. No. 27
- Petition by Seth Wilson - 2/10/22
- Amended Petition for Review and Request for Relief - 2/15/22
- Motion to Dismiss Petition - 2/15/22
- Respondents' Proposed Findings of Fact and Applicable Legal Standards - 3/22/22
- Exceptions to the Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/8/22
- State of Maryland's Response to Exceptions to the Report of the Special Magistrate - 4/11/22
- Affidavit of Donna Duncan in Support of Memorandum Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22
- Memorandum From the State Regarding the Upcoming Primary Election - 4/11/22