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Questions Over Political Redistricting Rise To Supreme Court

The Supreme Court will hear a case over partisan redistricting in October. It could have an impact on other states, including Indiana.

The case deals with a challenge to a redistricting plan from Wisconsin.

Associate Professor of Law at Indiana university's Maurer School of Law Steve Sanders says the case is important because the Supreme Court is usually "pretty hands off with the political process."

"But I think lower courts, scholars, and even some justices over the years have had the instinct that sometimes gerrymandering can be so bad and so severe that it ends up being a form of intentional government discrimination against people with a particular party affiliation," Sanders says.

Sanders says the only thing we can predict now is that it will probably be decided with a 5-4 decision with Justice Kennedy as the swing vote.

"Based on an initial ruling the justices made not requiring Wisconsin to do anything at this point, some people think that that might be a prediction that people that are challenging the gerrymander-er may lose," Sanders says.

Arguments are scheduled for October 3.