Supreme Court of the United States
Perry v. Perez
January 20, 2012181 L. Ed. 2d 900
Summary
The Court vacated the District Court's interim redistricting plans for Texas' 2012 elections, holding that the District Court erred by failing to give deference to the State's recently enacted plan when drawing interim maps. The Court ruled that while Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act prevents implementation of unprecleared plans, a district court drawing an interim plan must take guidance from the State's policy judgments unless they reflect a reasonable probability of failing preclearance. Justice Thomas concurred in the judgment, arguing that Section 5 is unconstitutional and the State's plans should govern.