Challengers ask court to take over Florida's redistricting
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/challengers-ask-court-to-take-over-floridas-redistricting/2243107
TALLAHASSEE Equating the Legislature's redistricting failure to a strikeout, the challengers to the state's congressional map on Thursday called on the Florida Supreme Court to redraw the districts it invalidated and reject the Legislature's call for more time.
"Faced with the Legislature's disregard of its mandate, this Court should promptly adopt a remedial plan," wrote the lawyers for the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and a coalition of Democrat-leaning voters in a motion filed Thursday. "... the unique circumstances of the crisis created by the Legislature hitting foul balls in its first two attempts and now striking out without a swing when given a third opportunity to draw constitutional districts warrants the remedy requested."
The court has several options, according to precedent in Florida and other states. It could ask the Legislature to try again, retain jurisdiction and let the trial court solicit proposed maps and recommend which is best. It could solicit alternative maps itself, or it could drawing its own map with the help of a mapping expert and its redistricting software.