US Supreme Court says South Carolina congressional district not result of racial gerrymandering

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a newly-drawn South Carolina congressional district, reversing a lower court decision that had struck it down as product of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the court in a 6-3 ruling from which the liberal justices dissented, said, “The District Court clearly erred because the Challengers did not satisfy the demanding burden of showing that the ‘legislature subordinated traditional race-neutral districting principles . . . to racial considerations.'”

“The Challengers provided no direct evidence of a racial gerrymander and their circumstantial evidence is very weak,” he added.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.