Bartlett v. Strickland
Encyclopedia
Bartlett v. Strickland, 556 U.S. 1 (2009), was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court on March 9, 2009. In a plurality decision, the Court held that a minority group must constitute a numerical majority of the voting-age population in an area before §2 of the Voting Rights Act
would require the creation of a legislative district to prevent dilution of that group’s votes. The decision struck down a North Carolina
redistricting plan that attempted to preserve minority voting power in a state legislative district that was 39 percent black. Justice Kennedy
delivered the decision and was joined by Justices Alito and Roberts. Justice Thomas
filed a concurring opinion that was joined by Justice Scalia. Justice Souter filed a dissenting opinion that was joined by Justices Stevens
, Ginsburg, and Breyer. Justices Ginsberg and Breyer also filed separate dissenting opinions.
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S....
would require the creation of a legislative district to prevent dilution of that group’s votes. The decision struck down a North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
redistricting plan that attempted to preserve minority voting power in a state legislative district that was 39 percent black. Justice Kennedy
Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Since the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's politically charged 5–4 decisions...
delivered the decision and was joined by Justices Alito and Roberts. Justice Thomas
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
filed a concurring opinion that was joined by Justice Scalia. Justice Souter filed a dissenting opinion that was joined by Justices Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
, Ginsburg, and Breyer. Justices Ginsberg and Breyer also filed separate dissenting opinions.
See also
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 556
- Thornburg v. GinglesThornburg v. GinglesThornburg v. Gingles was a lawsuit that reached the United States Supreme Court in 1985. A unanimous court found that "the legacy of official discrimination ... acted in concert with the multimember districting scheme to impair the ability of .....
, - Holder v. Hall,
- List of United States Supreme Court cases