Alfred Smallwood, et al. v. Martin Cromartie, et al.

Opinion summary

Etalia.ai summary of the majority opinion

The case involved a challenge to North Carolina's congressional districting plan, specifically District 12. Plaintiffs argued that the redistricting was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court had previously remanded this case for further consideration on whether race was the predominant factor in drawing District 12’s boundaries over traditional districting principles such as compactness and respect for political subdivisions. On review, evidence showed that partisan politics played a significant role alongside race considerations in shaping District 12, with Democrats aiming to create a safe Democratic seat by concentrating African-American voters who predominantly voted Democrat. The Court concluded there wasn't sufficient proof that race predominated over politics when designing the district map and ruled against Smallwood et al., affirming lower court decisions.