Filed Date: Feb. 23, 2016
Closed Date: May 16, 2017
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This is a case about the constitutionality of a districting plan that went into effect in Emanuel County, Georgia in 2012.
The Districting Plan in question was approved by the Georgia House, Senate, and Governor, and went into effect in 2012. The Districting Plan distributed the Emanuel County population into 7 districts, with the voting age population of District 5 being 81.4% African-American, but ranging from 16.30% to 37.80% in the other districts.
On February 23, 2016, the Georgia State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and two African-American residents and registered voters of Emanuel County, Georgia filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Statesboro Division. The plaintiffs sued the officials of Emanuel County in charge of ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal voting laws, the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, members of the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, the Emanuel County Administrator, the Emanuel County Board of Elections, the Director of Elections for Emanuel County, the Emanuel County School District, the Emanuel County School Board, and members of the Emanuel County School Board, under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 10301. The case was assigned to District Judge James Randal Hall.
Represented by private counsel and The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the plaintiffs sought attorneys’ fees and an order (i) declaring that the Districting Plan violated the Voting Rights Act; (ii) enjoining the defendants from conducting future elections under that Districting Plan; (iii) requiring implementation of a new districting plan consistent with the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 10301; and (iv) additional relief as appropriate. They claimed that the Districting Plan violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by over-concentrating the African-American voting age population into District 7, thereby diluting the voting strength of the African-American community in Emanuel County. They alleged that this denied Emanuel County’s African-American residents an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.
On May 2, 2016, the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, members of the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, the former Emanuel County Administrator named in the complaint, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Elections filed an answer to the complaint. On May 2, 2016, the Emanuel County School District, Emanuel County School Board, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Education filed a separate answer to the complaint. Both answers denied the plaintiffs’ allegations.
On June 6, 2016, the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, members of the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners, the former Emanuel County Administrator named in the complaint, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Elections filed a motion to stay proceedings. On June 7, 2016, District Judge James Randal Hall granted this motion, staying the matter for sixty days and instructing the parties to file a status report within sixty days.
On August 5, 2016, the Emanuel County School District, Emanuel County School Board, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Education filed a motion to stay proceedings. On August 8, 2016, District Judge James Randal Hall granted this motion, staying the matter for thirty days and instructing the parties to file a status report within thirty days.
On September 6, 2016, the plaintiffs filed a motion to stay proceedings. On September 12, 2016, District Judge James Randal Hall granted this motion, staying the matter for thirty days.
While litigation was ongoing, the state of Georgia drafted a new redistricting law ("New Local Act").
On December 8, 2016, the Emanuel County School District, Emanuel County School Board, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Education again filed a motion to stay proceedings. On December 8, 2016, District Judge James Randal Hall granted this motion, instructing the parties to file a stipulation of dismissal within fourteen days after the Governor signed the New Local Act or, if the New Local Act did not pass the General Assembly or was vetoed by the Governor, to file a Rule 26(f) report within fourteen days of these occurrences.
On May 12, 2017, the Emanuel County School District, Emanuel County School Board, and members of the Emanuel County Board of Education filed a stipulation of dismissal. On May 16, 2017, District Judge James Randal Hall signed an order dismissing the case with prejudice, ruling that the parties would pay their own costs and fees.
This case is closed.
Summary Authors
LFAA (1/12/2026)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5452664/parties/georgia-state-conference-of-the-naacp-v-emanuel-county-board-of/
Hall, James Randal (Georgia)
Gordon, Arusha (Georgia)
O'Connor, Maura Eileen (Georgia)
Podolsky, Gail (Georgia)
Nguyen, Hieu M. (Georgia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5452664/georgia-state-conference-of-the-naacp-v-emanuel-county-board-of/
Last updated Dec. 29, 2025, 4:08 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 23, 2016
Closing Date: May 16, 2017
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Georgia State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and two African-American residents and registered voters of Emanuel County, Georgia
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Attorney Organizations:
Lawyers Comm. for Civil Rights Under Law
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
EMANUEL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS (Emanuel), County
EMANUEL COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS (Emanuel), County
EMANUEL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT (Emanuel), County
EMANUEL COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD (Emanuel), County
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Voting Rights Act, section 2, 52 U.S.C. § 10301 (previously 42 U.S.C. § 1973)
Other Dockets:
Southern District of Georgia 6:16-cv-00021
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):
Voting: