The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to stay a lower court’s ruling that mandates Michigan’s redistricting commission to redraw political district maps for the Detroit area by spring. In response to the December 21 ruling invalidating 13 House and Senate districts in metro Detroit, the Michigan Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson hoped for a pause in the redrawing process while appealing the decision. The redistricting process follows a successful challenge by a group of metro Detroiters who argued that commissioners improperly used racial data to diminish the influence of Black voters.

The affected districts, deemed unconstitutional by a three-judge panel, include seven House districts and six Senate districts, all currently held by Democrats. Despite Jocelyn Benson’s request, the Supreme Court’s decision means the mapmakers are now required to deliver a draft of new House districts by February 2, aligning with the upcoming 2024 elections. The court will be approving new districts by March 29.

¶Affected Districts:

• House District 1 — Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit)

• House District 7 — Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit)

• House District 8 — Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park)

• House District 10 — House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit)

• House District 11 — Rep. Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods)

• House District 12 — Rep. Kimberly Edwards (D-Eastpointe)

• House District 14 — Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit)

• Senate District 1 — Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor)

• Senate District 3 — Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit)

• Senate District 6 — Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Township)

• Senate District 8 — Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak)

• Senate District 10 — Sen. Paul Wojno (D-Warren)

• Senate District 11 — Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe)

Michigan’s Supreme Court denied the Attorney General’s appeal of former Governor Rick Snyder’s charges being dismissed in the Flint Water case.

The court was not convinced to re-examine the case and stood by their decision to dismiss Snyder’s charges. Snyder is only one of the seven cases that have been dismissed after the Attorney General’s appeal was denied. A single misdemeanor charge against former Flint Public Works Director, Howard Croft, remains under review in the court.

The Attorney General Flint Water Crisis prosecution team plans to release a full report on the legal situation and a summary of the prosecution in 2024.

On September 20, the Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the Attorney General’s appeals to the Flint Water case, citing that they were not persuaded to hear the appeals which called for the Supreme Court to overturn the dismissal of the case from a lower court.

Back in January 2021, Jarrod Agen, Gerald Ambrose, Richard Baird, Darnell Earley, Nicolas Lyon, Nancy Peeler, Richard Snyder, and Eden Wells were charged with counts ranging from perjury, misconduct tin office, willful neglect of duty, to involuntary manslaughter. However, because of the one-man jury trial used by the Attorney General, these charges were dropped after the Supreme Court considered them unconstitutional three years ago.