Lawsuit Challenges Louisiana Supreme Court Districts

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A civil rights organization has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the maps used to elect Louisiana's seven state Supreme Court justices as discriminatory against African American voters.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Baton Rouge, seeks a declaration that the districts violate the federal Voting Rights Act. It also seeks an order that the district boundaries be re-drawn.

The Washington, D.C.-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP and two black voters.

The Louisiana Supreme Court says it doesn't comment on pending litigation. A statement from the Secretary of State's office, which oversees elections, said the office had not yet been served with the lawsuit "but will thoroughly and vigorously review any litigation at the appropriate time."