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Court strikes down fee request in redistricting case

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An appeal court in Tallahassee has upheld a trial judge’s denial of attorney fees to the plaintiffs who won a congressional redistricting case. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal agreed with Circuit Judge Terry Lewis that the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause and others “waived their right” to get their legal fees reimbursed for the trial court portion of the case. A separate request for appellate attorney fees still is pending before the Florida Supreme…

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The next redistricting fight: Who pays the attorneys?

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The Florida Legislature is continuing to oppose an effort by the plaintiffs’ attorneys to get their fees paid by state government now that the congressional redistricting case has been closed. Lawyers for House and Senate filed more legal authority with the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday to support their position that the opposing lawyers are “not entitled to an award of attorney’s fees.” Last month, the court gave its final OK to a redrawn version of the state’s 27 congressional districts, three years…

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Senate redistricting plaintiffs come in with six new maps

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The plaintiffs in the state Senate redistricting litigation filed six versions of a redrawn district map late Wednesday night, according to an email from their spokeswoman. Despite previous directions against drawing districts that cross Tampa Bay in a congressional redistricting case, their plans include areas that ‘jump the Bay.’ The plaintiffs and the Legislature have now filed proposals for consideration by Circuit Judge George Reynolds, charged with coming up with the best plan to recommend to the state Supreme Court. They had a midnight deadline.…

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Senate submits proposed redistricting map

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In the ongoing saga over state Senate redistricting, everything old is new again. The state Senate on Wednesday disclosed its proposed fix for its gerrymandered districts, a mash-up of two previous maps: One was passed by the Senate, another was drawn but not voted on in the recent Special Session. Because lawmakers couldn’t agree, it’s now up to Circuit Judge George Reynolds to recommend a map to the Florida Supreme Court for adoption. A trial is set for the week of Dec. 14.…

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Corrine Brown lambastes state Supreme Court over congressional redistricting

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Despite questions on many parts of the map, the Florida Supreme Court Tuesday focused on South Florida during the final scheduled oral argument in an ongoing congressional redistricting challenge. That inflamed Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, whose north-south district had been ordered changed by the court to an east-west configuration. That district didn’t get a mention. Brown, wearing a University of Florida shawl, harangued reporters afterward on the courthouse steps. Her 5th Congressional District, called one of the most gerrymandered in the country, meanders…

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House lawyer: Congressional districts don’t need to be perfect

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The outside lawyer for the Florida House of Representatives argued in a legal brief against a set of suggested congressional district boundaries in part by saying there’s no legal requirement “to create the ‘best’ possible districts.” George Meros, a Tallahassee attorney who also represented then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential recount, says the court “should adopt the House Map.” Briefs were filed in advance for Tuesday afternoon’s oral arguments before the Florida Supreme Court in the congressional redistricting challenge. Meros’ brief criticizes…

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Maps come in for congressional redistricting challenge

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Circuit Judge Terry Lewis will have at least seven proposed maps to sort out as he determines the best way to fix Florida’s congressional district boundaries. As of Tuesday, those maps include the House’s original “base map,” unchanged since last month’s Special Session, and two from the Senate, one of which puts the southern flank of eastern Hillsborough County back into the 16th Congressional District, now held by Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. Still others, including those submitted by the League of Women…

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