Federal panel considers new Georgia legislative maps

Posted 8:08AM on Monday 4th February 2002 ( 23 years ago )

WASHINGTON - Critics of Georgia's Redistricting plans get their day in federal court Monday, and Republicans are confident at least one of the three maps drawn by Democrats will be rejected. A three-judge panel in Washington must decide whether the new district lines for the state's House, Senate and congressional delegation violate the 1965 Civil Rights Act by unnecessarily diluting the black voting-age population in some areas. Although the Justice Department is only arguing against the state Senate map, all three are up for consideration because U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan last week allowed four voters who dispute them all to join the case. The trial is expected to last two to four days, but the only witnesses likely to testify are academic experts representing the Georgia government, the Justice Department and the four voters represented by GOP attorneys. Many prominent Georgians, including Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, and various state lawmakers, have submitted written testimony. Attorneys have been told Sullivan will be the only judge present for the testimony, with the other two likely to attend closing arguments next Monday. A decision is expected within a month, and it will almost certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. ``I'm not going to be one of those pundits trying to figure out what they're going to do,'' said state Rep. Calvin Smyre, Georgia's Democratic chairman. ``We've presented our package to them. Hopefully this matter can be resolved so everybody can be running for election on schedule. It's out of our hands now.'' Republicans maintain the Democrats who control the Legislature and governor's office purposely realigned black voters into Republican districts to help Democratic challengers unseat GOP incumbents. The areas of Savannah, Albany and Macon are the focus of their argument. On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief with the court essentially agreeing with the Republican position, especially regarding the state Senate map. The ACLU contends black candidates would have a slimmer chance of winning office under the proposal. ``The state has a very heavy burden of showing those reductions don't diminish the electoral power of black voters in the state,'' said Laughlin McDonald, an attorney representing the ACLU. ''(White voters) want districts they have a reasonable chance of winning, and I don't think black voters should be any different.'' Georgia Republican Chairman Ralph Reed predicted the state Senate map would be ``dead on arrival'' and expressed confidence the other two maps wouldn't withstand legal scrutiny either. ``It is our view all three maps are in a precarious situation, and the state Senate map is likely going to return,'' Reed said. ``We've got the ACLU, the Department of Justice and the Georgia Republican Party all objecting to the state Senate map. I think that's known as consensus.'' Attorneys representing the state didn't immediately return calls from The Associated Press, but Russ Willard, a spokesman for Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, said he was optimistic. ``The state is confident all three of the maps will pass scrutiny,'' Willard said.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/2/199263