Docket Number: 98-85
Appealed From: U.S. District Court
Subjects: Congressional district boundaries; racial gerrymandering; Equal Protection Clause

At Issue: Whether, in a gerrymandering case, shape and demographic evidence are enough to prove that race was a predominant motive in the creation of a majority-black voting district.

Decision: The court ruled that judges must look deeply into the evidence before deciding that state lawmakers have unconstitutionally used race as a major factor in drawing districts.

• The full text of the Hunt v. Cromartie decision is available at the FindLaw Internet Legal Resources Web site.

• The justices decided two other redistricting cases, Abrams v. Johnson and United States v. Johnson, in 1997.

Sources: The Washington Post, Supreme Court, The United States Law Week (a Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. publication)