WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - June 09, 2015) - Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton made the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's decision Monday to grant certiorari to the plaintiffs in Shapiro et al. v. Mack et al., which challenges Maryland's 2011 legislative redistricting plan on the grounds that it violates the voting rights of Maryland citizens through creation of unreasonably gerrymandered districts, as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' violation of the Three-Judge Act in adjudicating the case. Judicial Watch was the only party to file an amicus brief in this case:
- "No one is above the law, not even the federal courts," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
- "Unfortunately, recent events in Maryland demonstrate that unelected judges and power-hungry politicians have not learned this basic constitutional lesson.
- "Thankfully, the Supreme Court has guaranteed that Maryland's citizens will, at the least, get a fair hearing based on the law. For more than 40 years, Congress and the courts have recognized the importance of voters' ability to challenge how a state draws congressional and state legislative districts. The Fourth Circuit, however, has limited voters' power to challenge redistricting laws. Today's decision by the Supreme Court is a step toward checking judicial legislating and protecting the right to vote."