Judge rules 11th congressional district unconstitutional, orders new map * Brooklyn Paper

"Petitioners have shown strong evidence of [a] racially polarized voting bloc, they have demonstrated a history of discrimination ... and they have shown that racial appeals are still made in political campaigns today," Pearlman wrote in the decision."

""Today's ruling is a victory for fair representation and for Staten Island's growing communities of color," wrote Chris Alexander, executive director of New York's NAACP in a statement. "For too long, Black and Latino Staten Islanders have been packed into a congressional district that dilutes their voting strength and denies them a meaningful opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.""

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled that New York's 11th Congressional District unlawfully dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino residents and must be redrawn. The judge found evidence of racially polarized voting, a history of discrimination, and ongoing racial appeals in political campaigns. The state's Independent Redistricting Commission must produce a new district map by Feb. 6. Representative Nicole Malliotakis intends to appeal. Plaintiffs represented by Elias Law Group proposed combining all of Staten Island with parts of southern Manhattan and moving southern Brooklyn into the 10th District, altering Lower Manhattan boundaries.

Read at Brooklyn Paper