January 18, 2018 | American Civil Rights Union
On January 18, 2018, the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU) helped successfully urge the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay in Rucho v. Common Cause. ACRU’s amicus brief argued that the district court’s demand for a redrawn legislative map was unreasonable, because it created a new set of incredibly complex tests and then gave the North Carolina legislature just 14 days to create a new map. Illogically, the court said some types of partisan map-making were acceptable, while other types were illegal—which made it even more difficult for anyone to apply these new standards. This last-minute redistricting hurt candidates and voters, and it disrupted the election process.
In addition, the ACRU argued that the court’s ruling created a system that required federal courts to oversee nearly all redistricting efforts by state legislatures, redistricting commissions, and even other courts. According to Article I, Section IV of the Constitution, redistricting should be a state matter, not something run by federal courts.
READ THE AMICUS BRIEF HERE.