TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida circuit judge will decide by the end of the month whether state legislators violated the law and drew up political maps for Congress that were designed to help Republicans in the 2012 elections.
The 12-day trial that wrapped up Wednesday included allegations of a “shadow process” in designing the maps, testimony about secret meetings, deleted emails and the cozy relationships between political consultants and legislators.
The landmark trial marks the first test of a 2010 constitutional amendment approved by voters that said legislators could no longer draw up districts to favor incumbents or members of a political party.
Judge Terry Lewis was expected to make his decision after he receives closing statements electronically from both sides. If he finds that legislators broke the law, he could order them to draw new political maps.
Lewis must decide whether the plaintiff groups, which included the League of Women Voters and Common Cause, did enough to show that legislators intended in 2012 to help the GOP maintain its edge in
“We think we proved that the map is unconstitutional and ought to be set aside,” said David King, an attorney representing the groups suing the Florida Legislature. “We’re very confident of that.”
King and his fellow lawyers tried a variety of ways to prove their case including using political scientists and statistical experts who said that
Their evidence also showed how a top House aide shared maps with a GOP consultant before it was made public. Meanwhile, legislators and legislative staff testified they routinely deleted emails and other documents related to redistricting although they argued they were following normal rules.
Evidence taken from a Gainesville-based consultant was also heard, but it was done during an unusual closed-door courtroom session. Lawyers for Data Targeting tried to block the disclosure of the evidence, but the state Supreme Court ruled it could be considered as long as it wasn’t done in open court.
Additionally, there was the mystery of one map that was used as a model for the final one adopted by legislators.
Parts of the map came from consultants and it was turned in publicly in the name of a Florida State University student who later went to work for a lobbying firm whose roster include the brother of the current House speaker. But in a deposition, the former student denied ever turning in the map and said someone set up a fake email account in his name.
Legislative leaders and legislative staff steadily throughout the trial denied any wrongdoing and said that political operatives played no role in drawing up the final maps and did not suggest changes.
Raoul Cantero, a former state Supreme Court justice representing the Florida Senate, maintained that the coalition of groups had not proven its case to the judge.
“We think that all the plaintiffs have done is put up innuendo,” Cantero said shortly after the trial ended. “They have not shown that anything has affected the drawing of the maps.”
But even if Lewis does rule against the Florida Legislature, it expected the case will be appealed. That means it is unlikely that any current incumbents or challengers for Congress will be running in different seats this fall.