Florida Supreme Court rejects Republican leaders’ bid for shield in redistricting cases

[Baitball Blogger]

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Friday that state lawmakers can be forced to testify in redistricting cases claiming that backroom huddling with consultants and a flurry of email exchanges were part of an illegal effort to keep Republicans in command of Florida.

The 5-2 ruling by justices sided with the League of Women Voters of Florida, which disputed the stand by lawmakers that “legislative privilege” shields them from testifying in lawsuits challenging the state’s new congressional and state Senate maps.

Justice Barbara Pariente, writing for the majority, said constitutional standards approved by voters in 2010 specifically were designed to keep partisan politics out of the once-a-decade process of redrawing the state’s political boundaries.

“We conclude that there is no unbending right for legislators and legislative staff members to hide behind a broad assertion of legislative privilege to present the discovery of relevant evidence,” Pariente wrote.


http://www.postonpolitics.com/2013/12/florida-supreme-court-rejects-republican-leaders-bid-for-shield-in-redistricting-cases/

[leftyohiolib]

1. tom delay proved that redistricting can happen in between decades