No ruling in Texas Redistricting Cases

Today's Supreme Court order list makes no mention of the Texas redistricting cases, which have been relisted yet again. There are two more conferences scheduled for this year, then a four week break. Could it be that these cases will await the vote of a new Justice? Most likely the cases are being relisted as one of the four Vieth dissenters prepare a dissent from a summary affirmance in this case. The delay makes it less likely that Justice Kennedy sees this case as the vehicle for setting forth a reinvigorated partisan gerrymandering test, as he (along with the four Vieth dissenters) likely would have already voted to set the case for argument.

-- 
Rick Hasen 
William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola Law School 
919 Albany Street 
Los Angeles, CA  90015-1211 
(213)736-1466 - voice 
(213)380-3769 - fax 
rick.hasen@lls.edu 
http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html 
http://electionlawblog.org