Coca and Rangel-Lopez v. City of Dodge City
AdobeStockThe UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP) alongside the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP filed a lawsuit against Dodge City over its at-large election system for the city commission. The case argued that the at-large system violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fourteenth Amendment.
The current at-large voting system unlawfully dilutes the voting power of Latino residents. Considering that the Latino population in Dodge City is growing, with Latinos currently making up 65% of the total population, 59% of the Voting Age Population (VAP), and 46% of the Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP), the at-large system is detrimental to their ability to elect candidates of their choice.
The commission’s at-large system of voting allows for qualified city residents to vote in elections for all five districts. Whereas in a single-member district model, commission members would represent geographic districts within the city and only residents in those districts could vote. Plaintiffs argued that a commission map could be drawn that would enable Latinos the ability to elect candidates of choice in two out of five districts.
The court denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss as well their motion for summary judgement, which allowed for the case to proceed to trial. Trial took place in February 2024.
In July 2024, the district court ruled in favor of Dodge City, rejecting the Plaintiffs’ claims.
Legal Documents
Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint – 1/11/2023
Defendants’ Brief ISO Their Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint – 1/11/2023
Statement of Interest of the United States re Motion to Dismiss – 2/10/2023
Defendants’ Reply ISO Their Motion to Dismiss – 2/15/2023
MOTION for Leave to file A REPLY TO THE STATEMENT OF INTEREST – 2/24/2023
Defendants’ Response to the United States’ Statement of Interest – 2/27/2023
Plaintiffs’ Reply to Defendants’ Response to the United States’ Statement of Interest – 2/28/2027
Memorandum and Order re Motion to Dismiss – 4/18/2023
Joint Answer to Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief – 5/02/2023
Defendants’ Notice of Supplemental Authority ISO their Motion to Amend and Certify – 5/30/2023
Exhibit list for Defendants’ Notice of Supplemental Authority – 5/30/2023
Plaintiffs’ Notice of Supplemental Authority – 6/09/2023
Exhibit A – Health and Hosp. Corp. of Marion Cnty. v. Talevsk – 6/09/2023
Order re Pretrial Order (Revised PTO) – 8/29/2023
Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment – 9/22/2023
Defendants’ Brief ISO Summary Judgment – 9/22/2023
Index to MSJ Exhibits – 9/22/2023
Plaintiffs’ Memorandum of Law in Opp to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment – 10/13/2023
Exhibit List and Exhibits – 10/13/2023
Defendants’ Reply ISO Their Summary Judgment Motion – 10/27/2023
Exhibit K (Supplemental Declaration of Nickolaus J. Hernandez) – 10/27/2023
Exhibit K-1 (Sample Nov. 2021 Election Ballot) – 10/27/2023
Exhibit K-2 (Results for 2019 Dodge City Commission Gen’l Election) – 10/27/2023
Index of Exhibits – 10/27/2023
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER denying Motion for Summary Judgment – 12/13/2023
Trial Scheduling Order – 1/05/2024
STIPULATION of Facts and Exhibits by Miguel Coca, Alejandro Rangel-Lopez. (Ching, Kunyu) – 2/14/2024
TRIAL BRIEF by Miguel Coca, Alejandro Rangel-Lopez – 2/20/2024
Defendants’ Trial Brief – 2/20/2024
RESPONSE by Plaintiffs Miguel Coca, Alejandro Rangel-Lopez re Motion to Dismiss Party – 2/21/2024
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER granting MOTION for Order to Drop Individual Defendants – 2/23/2024
Defts TRIAL BRIEF Bench Brief Regarding Inadmissibility of Proposed Exhibits – 2/25/2024
Doc 189 Defts TRIAL BRIEF Bench Brief Regarding RPV Near Me – 2/25/2024
Doc 189-1 Defts TRIAL BRIEF Bench Brief Regarding RPV Near Me – 2/25/2024
Doc 189-2 Defts TRIAL BRIEF Bench Brief Regarding RPV Near Me – 2/25/2024
Doc 192 Plaintiffs’ Response to Defendant’s Bench Brief re Exhibit 136 – 2/26/2024
Doc 195 Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on Partial Findings – 2/28/2024
Doc 211 Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law – 3/22/2024
Doc 212 Defendants’ Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law – 3/22/2024
Doc 216 – Memorandum and Order – Dodge City Decision – 7/10/2024
Doc 217 Judgement in favor of Defts – 7/10/2024
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