[EL] Santa Monica & CVRA $10 million legal battle

[Douglas Johnson]

Santa Monica has already announced it is appealing. And one of the findings in the Judge’s one-sentence tentative ruling finds the City committed intentional discrimination, so this may turn out to be a very not-useful ruling, at least from the perspective of other jurisdictions hoping to get some judicial guidance on thresholds, definitions and other elements of the California Voting Rights Act.

 

But on the financial side it is definitely a big deal: while the City is not releasing any numbers after its six-week court trial, based on earlier statements it is clear the City has spent well over $5 million on its defense so far – and is on the hook for what surely will be an even higher bill from plaintiff counsel if plaintiffs ultimately prevail.

 

*	Doug

 

Douglas Johnson, Ph.D.

Fellow, Rose Institute of State and Local Government

at Claremont McKenna College

douglas.johnson at cmc.edu

direct: 310-200-2058

 

 


 <https://electionlawblog.org/?p=102254> Breaking: Santa Monica Poised to Lose California Voting Rights Act Case, Requiring the Creation of City Council Districts and Creating Potential for Appeal That Could Lead to CVRA Being Declared Unconstitutional


Posted on  <https://electionlawblog.org/?p=102254> November 14, 2018 10:05 am by  <https://electionlawblog.org/?author=3> Rick Hasen

 <http://www.smdp.com/city-loses-voting-rights-trial-in-tentative-judgment/170815> This is a very big deal. More after we have a final ruling.

 

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