The Supreme Court of North Carolina today announced dates and deadlines regarding its rehearing of Dickson v. Rucho, a constitutional challenge to North Carolina’s voting redistricting legislation passed in 2011. The state’s highest court originally ruled the redistricting plan constitutional, which prompted the plaintiffs to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The nation’s highest Court then ordered the North Carolina Supreme Court to reconsider Dickson in light of its own ruling in Alabama Black Legislative Caucus v. Alabama. That US Supreme Court opinion, authored by Justice Breyer, held certain aspects of Alabama’s voting redistricting plan to be unconstitutional.
The NC Supreme Court’s order sets the following dates, deadlines, and conditions:
Further briefing and argument shall be limited to the applicability of Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v . Alabama, 575 U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 1257 (2015), to the case at bar.
Any supplemental material to be added to the Record on Appeal shall be due on or before 1 June 2015.
Further briefing and argument shall be limited to the applicability of Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama, 575 U.S.
Plaintiffs’ brief shall be due on or before 11 June 2015.
Any motions to file amicus curiae briefs aligned with plaintiffs, along with the attached proposed briefs, shall be filed on or before that same date.
Defendants’ brief shall be due on or before 13 July 2015. Any motions to file amicus curiae briefs aligned with defendants, along with the attached proposed briefs, shall be filed on or before that same date.
Plaintiffs’ reply brief, if any, shall be due on or before 27 July 2015.
Oral argument will be held on 31 August 2015.
The entire order can be viewed here.
Leave a Comment