Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-232 | D. Ariz. | Dec 8, 2015 | Apr 20, 2016 | 8-0 | Breyer | OT 2015 |
Holding: The federal district court did not err in upholding Arizona's redistricting plan because the plan's population deviations predominantly reflected efforts to achieve compliance with the Voting Rights Act, not to secure political advantage for the Democratic Party.
Judgment: Affirmed, 8-0, in an opinion by Justice Breyer on April 20, 2016.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: A narrow, but unanimous, ruling on Arizona redistricting (Amy Howe, April 20, 2016)
- Argument analysis: Justices hard to read on Arizona redistricting plan (Amy Howe, December 8, 2015)
- Argument preview: Does “one person, one vote” yield to partisan politics or the Voting Rights Act? (Amy Howe, December 6, 2015)
- The new look at "one person, one vote," made simple (Lyle Denniston, July 27, 2015)
- Review of new Arizona election case narrowed (Lyle Denniston, July 2, 2015)
- A new look at race and politics in redistricting (Lyle Denniston, June 30, 2015)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| Aug 25 2014 | Statement as to jurisdiction filed. (Response due September 29, 2014) |
| Sep 15 2014 | Order extending time to file response to statement as to jurisdiction to and including October 29, 2014. |
| Sep 17 2014 | Waiver of right of appellee Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett to respond filed. |
| Oct 20 2014 | Order further extending time to file response to statement as to jurisdiction to and including November 13, 2014. |
| Nov 13 2014 | Motion to dismiss or affirm filed by appellees Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, et al. |
| Dec 02 2014 | Reply of appellants Wesley W. Harris, et al. filed. (Distributed) |
| Dec 03 2014 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 9, 2015. |
| Jun 25 2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 29, 2015. |
| Jun 30 2015 | PROBABLE JURISDICTION NOTED. |
| Jul 02 2015 | The order noting probable jurisdiction is amended as follows: In this case probable jurisdiction is noted limited to Questions 1 and 2 presented by the statement as to jurisdiction. |
| Jul 24 2015 | Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the appellants. |
| Jul 29 2015 | The time to file the joint appendix and appellants' brief on the merits is extended to and including September 4, 2015. |
| Jul 29 2015 | The time to file appellees' brief on the merits is extended to and including October 26, 2015. |
| Jul 31 2015 | Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party received from counsel for appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan. |
| Sep 04 2015 | Brief of appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan in support of appellants filed. |
| Sep 04 2015 | Joint appendix filed. |
| Sep 04 2015 | Brief of appellants Wesley W. Harris, et al. filed. |
| Sep 10 2015 | Brief amicus curiae of Southern Coalition for Social Justice in support of neither party filed. |
| Oct 09 2015 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, DECEMBER 8, 2015 |
| Oct 19 2015 | Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the appellee Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. |
| Oct 19 2015 | Record requested from U.S.D.C. District of Arizona. |
| Oct 26 2015 | Brief of appellee Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission filed. |
| Oct 27 2015 | CIRCULATED |
| Oct 30 2015 | Motion for divided argument filed by appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan in support of appellants. |
| Nov 02 2015 | Brief amicus curiae of the United States filed. (Distributed) |
| Nov 02 2015 | Brief amici curiae of Former Officials of the U.S. Department of Justice Who Enforced the Voting Rights Act filed. (Distributed) |
| Nov 02 2015 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed. |
| Nov 02 2015 | Brief amici curiae of The Navajo Nation and Leonard Gorman filed. (Distributed) |
| Nov 02 2015 | Brief amicus curiae of Samuel S. Wang, Ph.D. filed. (Distributed) |
| Nov 02 2015 | Brief amici curiae of Professors Nicholas Stephanoupolis and Simon Jackman filed. (Distributed) |
| Nov 24 2015 | Motion for divided argument filed by appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan in support of appellants. GRANTED. |
| Nov 24 2015 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED. |
| Nov 25 2015 | Reply of appellant Wesley W. Harris, et al. (Distributed) |
| Nov 25 2015 | Letter and 8 1/2 x 11 inch copies of exhibits that appear in appellants' brief on the merits received. |
| Nov 25 2015 | Reply of appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan in support of appellants filed. (Distributed) |
| Dec 08 2015 | Argued. For appellants: Mark F. Hearne, II, St. Louis, Mo. For appellee Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan in support of appellants: Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General, Phoenix, Ariz. For appellee Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission: Paul M. Smith, Washington, D. C.; and Sarah E. Harrington, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) |
| Apr 20 2016 | Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Breyer, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court. |
| May 23 2016 | JUDGMENT ISSUED |
