Georgia redistricting tossed by judge who says it disenfranchised Black voters

Georgia’s attempt to remap voting districts to disenfranchise Black voters was slapped down Thursday by a federal judge, court records show.

Judge Steve Jones ruled the conservative General Assembly violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and demanded Georgia legislators create more Congressional districts with Black majorities by Dec. 8, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was first to report.

"The evidence before this Court shows that Georgia has not reached the point where the political process has equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone," Jones wrote in his 516-page decision. "Accordingly, the Court issues this Order to ensure that Georgia continues to move toward equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone to participate in the electoral system."

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The decision comes at a key time for Georgia Democrats who hope to win their way into the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 Congressional elections.

Georgia is likely to appeal the ruling, doubling down on the argument they made at trial that the partisanship played not part in their redistricting efforts, AJC notes.

But civil rights organizations that include the American Civil Liberties Union successfully rebutted the argument, pointing to the state's 6th Congressional District, which was expanded in the 2021 redistricting to include large swaths of white and Republican voters, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes.

In the 2022 election, former U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Black woman, lost her seat to Rich McCormick, a white Republican.

Attorney Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project and attorney for the plaintiffs, called the ruling a victory for all civic-minded Americans.

“This ruling is a victory for Black voters in Georgia, and for anyone who believes voting should be fair," Lin Lakin said in a statement.

"This decision confirms that Black voters were illegally shut out of political opportunities in the state. The court’s ruling is a vital step in ensuring that Black Georgians can participate in the political process on equal terms.”

Jones, the Georgia federal judge who smacked down Donald Trump former chief of staff Mark Meadows' stay of emergency in the election interference case last month, told Georgia Republicans they had more than enough time to rework their map.

"The Court is confident that the General Assembly can accomplish its task," Jones wrote. "The General Assembly already has access to an experienced cartographer; and the General Assembly has an illustrative remedial plan to consult."

Raw Story reached out to the Georgia secretary of state, named as the defendant, for comment and will update this story upon receipt.

This story was updated 3 p.m. Thursday to include comment from the American Civil Liberties Union.