Skip to content

Shapiro v. McManus

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
14-990 4th Cir. Nov 4, 2015 Dec 8, 2015 9-0 Scalia OT 2015

Holding: 28 U.S.C. § 2284, which requires that a "district court of three judges shall be convened . . . when an action is filed challenging the constitutionality of the apportionment of congressional districts," and further provides that "the judge [presented with a request for a three-judge court] shall, unless he determines that three judges are not required, immediately notify the chief judge of the circuit, who shall designate two other judges to serve," entitles a group of Maryland residents to make their claim that the state"s 2011 congressional redistricting plan burdens their First Amendment right of political association before a three-judge court.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 9-0, in an opinion by Justice Scalia on December 8, 2015.

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
02/10/2015Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 20, 2015)
03/04/2015Order extending time to file response to petition to and including April 20, 2015.
03/20/2015Brief amicus curiae of Judicial Watch, Inc filed.
04/20/2015Brief of respondents Bobbie S. Mack, et al. in opposition filed.
05/01/2015Reply of petitioners Stephen M. Shapiro, O. John Beniser, and Maria B. Pycha filed.
05/05/2015DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 21, 2015.
05/26/2015DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 28, 2015.
06/01/2015DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 4, 2015.
06/08/2015Petition GRANTED.
06/11/2015Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioner Stephen M. Shapiro, et al.
06/22/2015Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioner GRANTED.
06/22/2015The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including August 7, 2015.
06/22/2015The time to file respondents' brief on the merits is extended to and including September 24, 2015.
07/06/2015Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the petitioners.
08/05/2015Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the respondents.
08/07/2015Brief of petitioners Stephen M. Shapiro, et al. filed.
08/13/2015Brief amici curiae of Common Cause and The Campaign Legal Center, Inc. filed.
08/14/2015Brief amicus curiae of Virginia State Conference of the NAACP filed.
08/14/2015Brief amicus curiae of Judicial Watch, Inc filed.
08/14/2015Brief amici curiae of Professors Joshua A. Douglas and Michael E. Solimine, Election Law Scholars filed.
09/09/2015SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, November 4, 2015
09/10/2015Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 4th Circuit.
09/18/2015The time to file respondents' brief on the merits is further extended to and including September 25, 2015.
09/25/2015Brief of respondents David J. McManus, Jr., Chairman, Maryland State Board of Elections, et al. filed.
10/02/2015CIRCULATED
10/26/2015Reply of petitioners Stephen M. Shapiro, et al. filed. (Distributed)
11/04/2015Argued. For petitioners: Michael B. Kimberly, Washington, D. C. For respondents: Steven M. Sullivan, Assistant Attorney General, Baltimore, Md.
12/08/2015Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Scalia, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
01/11/2016JUDGMENT ISSUED