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In a move that will have an immediate impact on the 2022 elections, a Prince George鈥檚 County judge ruled on Monday that the County Council failed to follow the law when it approved a controversial redistricting plan late last year.
As a result, a map crafted in secret by a six-member bloc of lawmakers will not be used in this year elections, in which all 11 Prince George鈥檚 council seats (nine district seats and two at-large) are on the ballot.
During a virtual hearing held on Friday, an attorney hired by four county residents argued that the council-backed map should be thrown out 鈥� not because of politically motivated line-drawing but because the panel failed to pass a redistricting bill, as required by law. Lawmakers approved a resolution instead.
鈥淏y improperly adopting the redistricting map under [resolution],鈥� the lawsuit alleged, 鈥渢he Council has abused its power by improperly determining which candidates may run in particular districts and functionally denying voters the opportunity to vote for the County Council candidate of their choosing鈥︹��
Judge William A. Snoddy agreed. In a three-page ruling issued Monday, he wrote that 鈥渁 resolution, while having the effect of a law, is not a substitute for a law鈥︹��
Snoddy ordered the county to use the map produced by a nonpartisan commission 鈥� a map that made relatively few changes to the council鈥檚 current districts 鈥� in place of the version the council聽聽on a 6-3 vote.
The plan聽聽made several changes to district boundaries, which were widely perceived as聽聽of their districts. Lawmakers who opposed the proposal complained that they were blindsided by the introduction of an alternative plan, and they used聽.
Members of the public held a rally against the proposal, and approximately 120 people testified at a hearing just prior to the council鈥檚 final vote. None spoke in favor of the council鈥檚 approach.
鈥淥bviously we鈥檙e very pleased. The court put forward a pretty strong order,鈥� said Matthew G. Sawyer, the attorney hired by angry citizens. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of the community leaders who stepped up. The people spoke up and demanded that their voices be heard 鈥� and they were.鈥�
The suit was filed by Robert E. Thurston, president of the Lakeland Civic Association; College Park resident Stephanie E. Stullich, a former municipal official and civic association leader; Beltsville resident John D. Perkins, head of the Vansville Civic Association; and Suitland resident Stanley Holmes, head of the Skyline Citizens Association.
In addition to their process argument, critics of the council plan complained that it divided several communities into multiple districts.
Thurston and Stullich are supporters of former Prince George鈥檚 Councilmember Eric Olson. An independent-minded progressive, Olson has been campaigning for the District 3 seat on the council since last summer. Critics charged that the council鈥檚 map made a finger-shaped detour around Olson鈥檚 house to keep him from reclaiming his old seat.
鈥淛ustice prevailed,鈥� said Olson after the ruling. 鈥淚t was clearly wrong the way the county council acted. It was not proper.鈥�
Two others candidates impacted by the council map may benefit from the court鈥檚 ruling.
Community activist Tamara Davis Brown (D), who lost to Sydney J. Harrison (D-District 9) by 55 votes in 2018 and was moved into District 8 by the council map, returns to District 9. She said on Monday the court order 鈥渃orrects the Council鈥檚 flawed decision-making.鈥� She said she is 鈥渆valuating how best I can serve the citizens of Prince George鈥檚 County in light of all developments.鈥�
Progressive activist Krystal Oriadha had been campaigning for the District 7 seat she lost narrowly to now-councilmember Rodney C. Streeter (D) in 2018. She was pushed into District 5 by the changes approved last year. The court order moves her back to District 7, where she is free to run against Streeter, who has missed several months of council meetings due to illness.
It could not immediately be learned on Monday whether the Council intends to appeal the ruling. Council Chairman Calvin S. Hawkins II (D-At Large), one of the backers of the controversial alternative, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis (D-District 6), the architect of the plan.
Councilmember Thomas E. Dernoga (D-District 1), who voted against it, expressed hope in an email to constituents that his colleagues will let the matter drop.
鈥淲hile I believe that the plaintiffs are legally correct (and that the Council鈥檚 Redistricting Plan was an undemocratic gerrymander), we will have to wait to see whether my colleagues decide to appeal,鈥� he wrote.
鈥淥ne may hope that they finally put their personal political desires aside and put an end to this public embarrassment.鈥�
