petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to grant ... - Election Law Blog

41aAppendix Dblocks are, in fact, geographically very close to the nucleusof Hispanic concentration in south Irving. (See e.g., PL’sExs. 6 and 7.) Therefore, the Court finds that the proposeddistricts are reasonably compact.Dr. Rives argued that Illustrative District C inparticular does not contain a geographically compactarea of Hispanic citizens because the neighborhood ofBenavidez’s home is demographically different from theremainder the Hispanic areas included in the district.(Trial Tr. vol. 1, 66, Feb. 18.) He based his arguments onthe higher rates of citizenship, higher levels of educationalattainment, higher income levels, and the younger housingstock in Benavidez’s neighborhood. (Id.)But the district’s “projections away from the core,”which encompass Benavidez’s residence for standingpurposes, extend only approximately 1.5 miles from theedge of the primary area of Hispanic CVAP concentration.(Id. at 62; Defs.’ Summ. J.App. 9.) Further, IllustrativeDistrict C includes a relatively large area of 30-40%Hispanic CVAP concentration and a small pocket of 50-100% Hispanic CVAP concentration, as well as Benavidez’sresidence. (Id. at 62; PL’s Summ. J.App. 65; Defs.’ Summ.J.App. 12.) Thus, while Benavidez’s neighborhood is notpart of the core of Hispanic concentration and althoughit may differ in some demographic characteristics fromthe core area, it is geographically close to that core andit contains a substantial Hispanic population. Therefore,the Court nonetheless considers Illustrative District Ccompact.