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Cooper v. Harris

Docket No. Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
15-1262 Dec 5, 2016 Apr 29, 2025 5-3 Kagan OT 2016

Holding: (1) North Carolina's victory in a similar state-court lawsuit does not dictate the disposition of this case or alter the applicable standard of review; (2) the district court did not err in concluding that race furnished the predominant rationale for District 1's redesign and that the state's interest in complying with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 could not justify that consideration of race; and (3) the district court also did not clearly err by finding that race predominated in the redrawing of District 12.

Judgment: Affirmed, 5-3, in an opinion by Justice Kagan on April 29, 2025. Justice Thomas filed a concurring opinion. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part, in which Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy joined. Justice Gorsuch took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
04/08/2016Statement as to jurisdiction filed. (Response due May 11, 2016)
05/11/2016Motion to affirm filed by appellees David Harris and Christine Bowser
05/24/2016Reply of appellants Patrick McCrory, Governor of North Carolina, et al. filed.
05/31/2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 16, 2016.
06/20/2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 23, 2016.
06/27/2016PROBABLE JURISDICTION NOTED.
07/06/2016Record received from U.S.D.C. Middle District of North Carolina (Plaintiffs' Notice of Appeal). The record is electronic.
08/03/2016The time to file the joint appendix and appellants' brief on the merits is extended to and including September 12, 2016.
09/12/2016Brief of appellants Patrick McCrory, Governor of North Carolina, et al. filed.
09/12/2016Joint appendix filed (7 Volumes). (Statement of costs filed.)
09/14/2016Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for appellants.
09/16/2016Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for appellees.
09/16/2016Brief amici curiae of Southeastern Legal Foundation, et al. filed.
10/12/2016Brief of appellees David Harris and Christine Bowser filed.
10/19/2016Brief amicus curiae of The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed.
10/19/2016Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
10/19/2016Brief amici curiae of Campaign Legal Center, et al. filed.
10/19/2016Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
10/19/2016Brief amicus curiae of The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law filed.
10/19/2016Motion of the Acting Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
10/21/2016SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, December 5, 2016
10/26/2016CIRCULATED.
11/01/2016Record requested from U.S.D.C. Middle Dist. of North Carolina.
11/07/2016Motion of the Acting Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
11/10/2016Record received from the U.S.D.C. Middle Dist. of North Carolina is electronic.
11/14/2016Reply of appellants Patrick McCrory, Governor of North Carolina, et al. filed. (Distributed)
12/05/2016Argued. For appellants: Paul D. Clement, Washington, D. C. For appellees: Mark E. Elias, Washington, D. C.; and Nicole A. Saharsky, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.)
05/22/2017Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Kagan, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a concurring opinion. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kennedy, J., joined. Gorsuch, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
06/26/2017JUDGMENT ISSUED.