From Tribune Staff Reports,
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A federal judge has ruled that Jefferson County’s commission districts are unconstitutional, finding that the county’s current map unlawfully dilutes the voting power of Black residents.
The ruling, issued after a four-day bench trial, concluded that the map was drawn to concentrate Black voters into two districts while limiting their influence in the remaining three. The court determined this violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The judge has given both sides 30 days to submit a joint plan for redrawing the districts.
The Jefferson County Commission issued a statement saying it has received Judge Haikala’s findings. “County Attorney Theo Lawson says he is reviewing the order to determine next steps,” the statement read.
