Federal judge blocks Duval’s new city council and school board maps

A federal judge has blocked the City of Jacksonville from moving forward with any elections using newly redrawn city council and school board district maps.

A group of voters and civil rights organizations sued the city earlier this year and argued council had packed Black voters into four of 14 districts, diluting Black voters’ representation city-wide.

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In her ruling Judge Marcia Morales Howard agreed with the coalition of groups that the maps violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

This year city council left the map relatively unchanged compared to the previous map drawn in 2011.

Districts 7, 8, 9 and 10 all have Black voting populations in excess of 60%, and while the city argued race wasn’t the predominant factor in drawing the current maps, the judge reasoned historical evidence showed the districts were initially designed with race at the forefront.

In a press conference held after a September hearing, attorneys representing the local voters named in the lawsuit argued the new map was a continuation of a 30-year history of racial gerrymandering in Duval County.

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“And regardless of how long this has been going on, I think we can all agree that it’s wrong now,” said Nick Warren, an attorney with the ACLU.

Howard ordered the city to come up with a new plan by Nov. 8.

When and if the city proposes a new plan, the groups suing will have until Nov. 18 to voice objections and even propose an alternative map of their own.

The city will have until Nov. 28 to respond, but ultimately the judge will have the final say on which map to go with.

That’s assuming the city doesn’t appeal Wednesday’s ruling.

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“Our attorneys are currently reviewing the 139 page order and I will be meeting with them soon to discuss what the next steps may be,” said City Council President Terrance Freeman (R-Group 1 At-Large) in an emailed statement.

“We will explore all our legal options and proceed accordingly.”

The Duval Democratic Party applauded the decision to block the maps.

“From the beginning, we have advocated for fair maps that protect residents’ rights to have a voice in their local government. This ruling reaffirms our belief that the maps passed by the council, earlier this year, racially segregated Duval County residents and silenced their voices,” said Daniel Henry, Chair of the Duval Democratic Party. “It’s now incumbent on City Council, to embrace this ruling, and proceed with a fair and equitable redistricting process that produces maps that are logically shaped and racially balanced by the court-imposed deadline.”

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Notably, Judge Howard recognized potential unintentional consequences that could result from a breakup of Duval’s Black-majority districts, a concern raised by the city throughout the case.

“The concern that newly drawn Districts may negatively impact the level of minority representation on the City Council is real and not insignificant,” wrote Judge Howard in her ruling. “Here, although the Court acts with reluctance, the Court is convinced that failing to act would be an even more serious failure of the responsibility of the judicial branch.”

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