JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville City Council will appeal a new ruling by a federal judge.
A lawsuit alleges racial gerrymandering among council and school board districts.
Here is the statement provided by City Council President Terrance Freeman Friday evening:
“The Council disagrees with the outcome of the Court order. Therefore, we have directed the Office of General Counsel to appeal the decision. While we await the appeal, the Council will begin a new redistricting process immediately given the court order and the short window established by the District Court.”
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On Friday afternoon, City Council met to talk about the gerrymandering suit and a new proposed district map.
The majority of the conversation took place in a “shade meeting” -- which means it was closed to the public. Only the council, its attorneys and others required by Florida statutes were allowed inside.
RELATED: Federal judge blocks Duval’s new city council and school board maps
This all comes as a federal judge agreed with the plaintiffs that the maps likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
Earlier this year, a group of voters and civil rights organizations sued the city over its new council district map.
The suit said the council had packed Black voters into four of 14 districts, diluting Black voters’ representation city-wide.
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