Plaintiffs divided in redistricting case, motion filed to exclude Singleton parties

Attorneys representing the Caster and Milligan plaintiffs in the ongoing Allen v. Milligan redistricting litigation filed a motion to exclude the Singleton plaintiffs from future VRA remedial proceedings.

Singleton plaintiffs include State Senators Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) and Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) and others who were listed as plaintiff parties in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month. 

According to the motion filed on July 24 in U.S. District Court, Caster and Milligan plaintiffs are requesting, “clarity as to the status of consolidation and role of the Singleton Plaintiffs in this process.”

While all plaintiffs are united by their argument that Alabama’s 2021 congressional district map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Monday’s motion raises questions about how the plaintiff parties intend to move forward in the next phase of remediation. 

On August 14, a hearing from the three-judge panel that initially ruled in favor of that argument will be held to review the remedial map passed last week by the Alabama Legislature.

At present, that hearing will involve all plaintiffs – including Milligan, Caster, and Singleton parties. Unless the motion to move forward without Singleton plaintiffs is granted. 

An attorney representing the Singleton plaintiffs told Yellowhammer News they’ll be filing a motion as soon as Thursday, but offered no comment in the meantime.

The rift among plaintiffs could involve the remedial plan offered by Singleton plaintiffs, which promotes the “whole county” theory – rooted in the logic that it can withstand long-term constitutional scrutiny by comprising all of Jefferson County and utilizing a lowered majority-black voting age percentage.

Caster and Milligan plaintiff groups, who refer to themselves as the “VRA Plaintiffs” are presumably not in favor of a consolidated Jefferson County.

Requests for statements from attorneys representing both Milligan and Caster plaintiffs were not returned at time of publication.

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270