OVERLAND PARK, KS - A Wyandotte County Judge has consolidated three ongoing redistricting cases, denied Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s motions to dismiss those cases, and ruled that the cases can proceed to trial.
Judge Bill Klapper ruled that the three cases – Alonzo (filed in Wyandotte County by the ACLU of Kansas, Campaign Legal Center, and Arnold & Porter); Rivera (also filed in Wyandotte County by the Elias Law Group and Grissom & Miller), and a third case, Frick, filed in Douglas County—would be consolidated for all purposes. Judge Klapper also overruled the Defendants’ motion to transfer venue to Shawnee County.
“We’re obviously pleased with the Judge’s decision, and we are particularly excited to put on the evidence on behalf of our clients,” said Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas. “The Ad Astra 2 map is an extreme and obvious gerrymander that was deliberately designed to dilute the votes of Kansas Democrats and Black and Latino voters in Wyandotte County. The evidence at trial will prove beyond a doubt that this gerrymandered map is unfair and unconstitutional.”
Judge Klapper also denied the Defendants’ motion for a continuance, holding to the trial dates previously agreed upon by the parties.
Trial is set to begin on all three cases at 9 a.m. Monday April 4, and runs through April 6. There is also the potential for a fourth day of arguments set for April 11. The trial will be held in Wyandotte County District Court in Kansas City, Kansas.
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About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.