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Alabama | Congress

Milligan v. Allen (was Merrill)

Last Updated Jul 12, 2024
Case Nos. 2:21-cv-01530, 2:23-mc-01181 (N.D. Ala.); No. 22-10278 (11th Cir.); Nos. 21-1086, 23A231 (S. Ct.)
Cycle 2020

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Case Information

** This challenge was heard alongside, but (outside of Supreme Court proceedings) not generally consolidated with, Caster v. Merrill **

A federal court challenge to Alabama’s congressional districts, alleging that race unjustifiably predominated in the packing of one congressional district, and that the consequent dilution of other Black communities’ voting strength violates the VRA. 

On Jan. 24, 2022, the three-judge trial court granted a preliminary injunction, finding the plaintiffs likely to prevail on their VRA claim (and reserving ruling on the constitutional claim).  The court also postponed the 2022 qualification deadline, to give the legislature time to draw a remedial map.  On Feb. 7, 2022, the Supreme Court stayed the injunction and granted certiorari before judgment.  On June 8, 2023, the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court — and in the process, preserved precedent on the appropriate interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

On remand, the state drew a new congressional plan on July 21, 2023; the three-judge trial court rejected that plan on Sept. 5, 2023, and directed a special master to draw a remedial map.  On Oct. 5, 2023, the court ordered the implementation of one of the remedial maps recommended by the special master.  These rulings are all pursuant to a preliminary injunction, not a final judgment.

On Jan. 31, 2024, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint alleging that the state’s 2023 enacted map violates the VRA and was the product of intentional racial discrimination.

History

Case filings, starting with most recent court
    Name Last Modified
Document icon Notice of appeal Jan 25, 2022
Document icon Motion to dismiss appeal Feb 9, 2022
Document icon Order dismissing appeal Mar 4, 2022
    Name Last Modified
Document icon State's emergency app. for stay (incl. apps.) Jan 28, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ala. Ctr. for Law & Liberty Feb 1, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ala. State Repub. Exec. Comm. Jan 31, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Louisiana et al. Jan 31, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Natl. Repub. Redistricting Trust Feb 1, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of US cong. from Ala. Feb 1, 2022
Document icon Respondents' motion opposing stay Feb 2, 2022
Document icon Reply in support of stay application Feb 2, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Order staying case, granting cert. before judgment Feb 7, 2022
Document icon State's brief Apr 25, 2022
Document icon Joint appendix Apr 25, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ala. Ctr. for Law & Liberty Apr 29, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ala. State Repub. Exec. Comm. May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of America First Legal May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of ALEC May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Sen. John Braun et al. Apr 29, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Citizens United et al. May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Coastal Ala. Partnership May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Lawyers Democracy Fund May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Louisiana et al. May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Nat. Repub. Redistricting Trust May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Project on Fair Representation May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Public Int. Legal Found. Apr 29, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of RNC May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of U.S. cong. from Ala. May 2, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Singleton plaintiffs May 2, 2022
Document icon Brief of Caster plaintiffs Jul 11, 2022
Document icon Brief of Milligan plaintiffs Jul 11, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of United States Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ala. historians Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of ABA Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of bipartisan Senators and staff Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Brennan Ctr. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Campaign Legal Ctr. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Ctrl. Ala. Housing Ctr. et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Prof. Jowei Chen et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of U.W. Clemon et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of computational redistricting experts Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Const. Accountability Ctr. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Prof. Travis Crum Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Lawyers' Comm. et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of local gov'ts Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of NCAI Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Repub. former governors Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Press Robinson et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Reps. Terri Sewell et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Southern Poverty Law Ctr. et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of UCLA social scientists Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of voting rights practitioners Jul 18, 2022
Document icon Amicus brief of Washington, DC, et al. Jul 18, 2022
Document icon State's reply Aug 24, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Transcript of oral argument Oct 4, 2022
Document icon Audio of oral argument Oct 4, 2022
Highlighted document Document icon Opinion affirming trial ct. Jun 8, 2023

Map | Challenged 2021 congressional map

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Map | Challenged remedial map

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Additional Cases

PENDING - Supreme Court affirmed challenge to congressional maps under the Voting Rights Act
Cycle 2020
PENDING - Federal court challenge to congressional districts: VRA violations, intentional raical discrimination
Cycle 2020