Federal judge says Jefferson County must redraw commission districts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - A federal judge has ruled that the current Jefferson County commission district maps must be redrawn, saying the current maps violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The lawsuit, filed in April 2023 , accused the Jefferson County Commission of illegally packing Black voters into two districts, limiting their influence in the other three districts and the direction of government.

The ruling, issued on Tuesday, Sept. 16 by U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala, said because the districting plan - finalized in 2021 - violated the Fourteenth Amendment, it cannot be used in Jefferson County Commission elections.

Judge Haikala said within 30 days, a joint report must be filed on the development of a “remedial redistricting plan.