A judge threw out Florida’s congressional redistricting map Thursday, ruling that the Legislature allowed for a “secret, organized campaign” by partisan operatives to subvert the redistricting process in violation of the state Constitution.
Leon County Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis ruled that two of the state’s 27 districts are invalid and must be redrawn, along with any other districts affected by them, to bring the map into compliance with the state’s new Fair District amendments.
You can read the decision here (via CLC).
Judge Lewis struck me as one of the very best (state or federal) judges involved in the 2000 Bush v. Gore set of cases. This opinion to is well written, straightforward and convincing. We will see what happens as this case works its way up the appellate process.