Voting Rights Act – Page 3

San Juan County Ordered To Create New School Board Election Districts by January 28th, 2016

December 18, 2015December 23, 2015Sarah M Donnelly

Link to press release from Navajo Nation DOJ here.

Previous posts about the case here.

Excerpt:

Leonard Gorman, Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, attended the status conference and said, “We are very pleased with how the hearing went yesterday. It was great that Judge Shelby agreed that Navajo voters in San Juan County should not have to tolerate violations of their constitutional rights through another election cycle. We are especially grateful to Judge Shelby for establishing a firm deadline for fixing the County’s illegal School Board election districts.”

Navajo Prevails in Voting Rights Case

December 10, 2015Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here are the materials in Navajo Nation v. San Juan County (D. Utah):

173 Navajo Motion for Summary J – 4th Claim

182 Navajo Motion for Summary J – 2d Claim

183 Massey Expert Report

184 Ely Expert Report

185 Deyhle Expert Report

188 Engstrom Expert Report

189 Tom-Orme Expert Report

198 San Juan County Opposition

221 San Juan County Opposition to 173

280 DCT Order

Prior posts here, here, here, and here.

Alaska Settles Voting Rights Suit Brought by Alaska Natives

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here, “STATE OF ALASKA SETTLES IN HISTORIC VOTING RIGHTS CASE.”

An excerpt:

After nine months of negotiations, the State of Alaska reached a settlement with the Native Alaskan plaintiff’s who sued the state in federal court over the translation of voting materials and ballot access for Native Alaskan voters. The settlement requires a variety of actions by the state including providing language assistance for three census areas and information in Gwich’in and up to six Yup’ik dialects in the official election pamphlet. Read the full settlement document from the National Indian Law Library website. Find news coverage at the Alaska Dispatch website and the KTUU website.

Other materials here.

News coverage here.

Federal Court Denies Motion to Dismiss Pine Ridge Voting Rights Act Matter

May 4, 2015Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the order in Poor Bear v. Jackson County (D. S.D.):

34 DCT Order

Motion to dismiss and other materials here.

Federal Court Denies San Juan County’s Motion to Dismiss Navajo Nation’s Voting Rights Case

March 17, 2015Matthew L.M. Fletcher3 Comments

Here are the materials in Navajo Nation v. San Juan County (D. Utah):

98 San Juan County Motion to Dismiss

99 Navajo Nation Motion for Partial Summary J — Fourth Claim

100 Navajo Nation Motion for Partial Summary J — Second and Third Claims

101 Navajo Nation Opposition to 98

104 San Juan County 56d Motion

105 San Juan County Reply re 98

166 Memorandum Decision and Order

An excerpt:

Having established subject-matter jurisdiction and the joinder of all necessary parties, the court finds that Navajo Nation has provided “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). It has thus satisfied the requirements of Rule 12(b)(6). Rule 12(c) further states that “[a]fter the pleadings are closed–but early enough not to delay trial–a party may move for judgment on the pleadings.” The court finds no basis on which San Juan County would be entitled to judgment on the merits on the basis of this briefing.

United States Intervenes in South Dakota Voting Rights Case

January 8, 2015January 8, 2015Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Here are the materials in Poor Bear v. Jackson County (D. S.D.):

23 Motion to Dismiss

27 Opposition

28 Reply

29 Statement of the Interest of the US

Complaint here. Other materials here.

News coverage here.

UPDATE: I should point out this doesn’t look like a formal motion to intervene, more like an amicus brief.

Motion for Preliminary Injunction Filed in Poor Bear v. County of Jackson (S.D. Native Voting Rights Act Case)

October 13, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Here is the pleading in Poor Bear v. County of Jackson (D. S.D.):

13 Motion for PI

The complaint is here.

Voting Rights Act Complaint Filed by Natives in South Dakota

September 22, 2014Matthew L.M. Fletcher3 Comments

Here is the complaint in Poor Bear v. County of Jackson (D. S.D.):

1 Complaint

An excerpt:

This case arises from Defendants’ refusal to establish a satellite office for voter registration and in-person absentee voting in the Town of Wanblee on the Pine Ridge Reservation, thereby making voting less available to Native Americans in Jackson County in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Specifically, because in-person voter registration and in-person absentee voting are limited to the county seat of Kadok, Native American residents of Jackson County are required to travel, on average, approximately twice as far (and such travel takes approximately twice as much time) to take advantage of in-person registration and in-person absentee voting in comparison to white residents of Jackson County. Establishing a satellite office in Wanblee, on the other hand, would substantially reduce the distance and travel time for both groups, would essentially equalize the average travel time and distance for the two groups, and would thereby provide Native Americans an equivalent level of access to in-person registration and in-person absentee voting.