Race-based legislative maps
North Carolina v. Sandra Little Covington
In brief
The Supreme Court left parts of the lower court’s decision in place and overturned other parts.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · June 28, 2018 · Opinion by Justice Curiam
- What it’s about
- A group of North Carolina voters challenged state legislative districts they said were drawn mainly based on race, and the federal district court ordered replacement maps.
- Who it affects
- The ruling left part of the district court’s response to North Carolina’s challenged legislative maps in place and overturned another part.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court upheld court-drawn remedies for Senate districts 21 and 28 and House districts 21 and 57, but overturned the lower court’s actions concerning the legislature’s redrawing of House districts in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties.
The dispute centered on whether North Carolina’s legislative districts were drawn mainly based on race.
Question presented
1. Did the district court lack jurisdiction to ensure that the State adopted constitutionally adequate districting plans to remedy the most extensive racial gerrymander in our Nation’s history? 2. Did the district court clearly err when it found that the plans adopted by the General Assembly failed to remedy the racial gerrymandering in four districts, based on extensive factual findings—uncontested here—that these districts partook too much of the constitutional infirmities of their predecessor districts? 3. Did the district court abuse its equitable discretion in imposing a remedial plan that cured the federal constitutional violations while also respecting state policy as enshrined in the State Constitution?
What the Court decided
Holding
Adjudged to be AFFIRMED in part and REVERSED in part. Opinion per curiam. (Detached Opinion ). Justice Thomas, dissenting. (Detached Opinion )
The vote
- Majority author
- Per Curiam
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. No further step is stated in the record.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
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Opinion added: Covington
Opinion added: Opinion
Brief added: Jurisdictional Statement
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.