TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An appeals court Friday said a circuit judge issued a “patently unlawful” temporary injunction against a congressional redistricting plan pushed through the Legislature by Gov. Ron DeSantis, giving another sign that the controversial plan likely will be used in this year’s elections.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal issued a 20-page ruling that explained its reasons last week for putting a stay on the temporary injunction. Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith issued the temporary injunction May 12, siding with voting-rights groups that challenged the constitutionality of the redistricting plan.
While Friday’s ruling stemmed from the stay, the appellate panel sharply criticized the temporary injunction, which also directed the use of a different congressional map.
