SCSJ releases Supreme Court response to North Carolina’s Emergency Voting Case Durham, NC — On Thursday, August 25, the League of Women Voters, represented by SCSJ, and other plaintiffs in State of North Carolina v. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP asked the Supreme Court deny the State’s request to stay the Fourth Circuit’s […]
Coalition of Civic Organizations Sues North Carolina for Failing to Comply with Federal Voting Rights Obligations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 15, 2015 Contacts Michael McDunnah, Project Vote 202-905-1397 / mmcdunnah@projectvote.org Hayley Home, Morrison Foerster 415-268-6021 / hhome@mofo.com Donté Donald, Demos 212-485-6062 / ddonald@demos.org Allison Riggs, Southern Coalition for Social Justice 919-323-3380 ext. 117 / allison@southerncoalition.org Stacie Burgess, Lawyers’ Committee 202-445-6101 / sburgess@lawyerscommittee.org Coalition of Civic […]
Orange County group sends police chiefs, sheriff advice for fighting police bias
This story was written by Tammy Grubb and was first published in The News & Observer on May 26, 2015. CHAPEL HILL – A coalition of attorneys, citizens and community advocates is asking Orange County law enforcement to weed out any racial bias in their departments. The Orange County Bias-Free Policing Coalition recommended 11 steps, including […]
Wake Voters Sue Over New County Commission Districts
For Immediate Release Contact: Beverley Clark, […]
New evidence in Daniel Green’s case, SCSJ attorneys are seeking a new trial
Contact: Joyce Fitzpatrick 919-247-4400 joyce@fitzpatrickcomm.com For Immediate Release Daniel Green Files Motion for New Trial COMPELLING NEW EVIDENCE RAISES SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS ABOUT LUMBERTON MAN’S MURDER CONVICTION IN THE 1993 KILLING OF MICHAEL JORDAN’S FATHER April 1, 2015 DURHAM, NC (March 31, 2015) – Daniel Green, one of two men currently imprisoned for the murder of James Jordan […]
Critics of NC’s voter ID law to present their case in court
RALEIGH — Whether N.C. voters will have to show a photo ID in 2016 will depend on whether opponents can show why they shouldn’t have to. That test begins Friday when critics of the 2013 election law overhaul argue that the ID requirement violates the North Carolina Constitution. North Carolina residents and voting-rights organizations challenging […]
Supreme Court Allows North Carolina’s Tighter Voting Rules
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to implement tighter voting rules for the midterm elections, blocking a lower-court ruling that required the state to restore same-day voter registration and count ballots cast in the wrong precinct. The high court’s action, announced in a brief written order, dealt a blow to the Justice Department […]
Rocking the Vote at Appalachian State University
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice celebrated National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) by hosting a concert and voter registration event with Rock the Vote, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, IgniteNC, and the Watauga County NAACP at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The concert was one of hundreds of simultaneous NVRD events staged throughout the […]
SCSJ's Allison Riggs discusses voter suppression on the Rachel Maddow Show
On July 29, 2013 SCSJ staff attorney Allison Riggs appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show to discuss proposed voter suppression measures in North Carolina and throughout the U.S. Below is Allison’s interview with guest host Melissa Harris Perry. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Please help fund SCSJ’s voting […]
Changes to unemployment insurance harm jobless workers and economy
Cuts to unemployment insurance in North Carolina have made it harder for jobless workers to support their families and make ends meet in an economy with simply too few jobs to go around, according to a report released this morning by the North Carolina Justice Center. The recent decline in unemployment has been largely due […]
NC redistricting foes again seek to remove Newby
(NOTE: SCSJ represents nonpartisan civil rights plaintiff groups in this lawsuit) By GARY D. ROBERTSON — Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — Opponents of the new boundaries for North Carolina General Assembly and congressional seats are again asking the state Supreme Court to force an associate justice to recuse himself from coming arguments on the maps’ […]
What is racial gerrymandering and why should I care?
Recently Slate writer David Weigel wrote a detailed article discussing the effects of racial gerrymandering on politics in North Carolina, one of the states where SCSJ is deeply engaged in voting rights work. In addressing redistricting issues in North Carolina, Weigel writes that the state underwent a 2011 redistricting overhaul at the hands of a […]
Montravias King brings national spotlight to NC student voter suppression
On August 22, 2013 The Rachel Maddow Show was devoted entirely to North Carolina voting rights issues. One of the major topics was SCSJ client Montravias King. Mr. King has lived in Elizabeth City since the summer of 2009, when he moved there to attend Elizabeth City State University. During the last four years, Mr. […]
SCSJ charter school case raises statewide policy questions
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2013/08/14/private-turned-charter-school-raises-questions-of-access/ Private-turned-charter school raises questions of access Posted on 8/14/2013 by Lindsay Wagner Print This Article The actions of a private-turned-charter school in Robeson County have parents and concerned citizens questioning whether the school is trying to limit access to the school, and raise questions about the enforcement of the state law that mandates that […]
Chicago Tribune – NC governor signs tough new voting restrictions
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-voting-northcarolina-20130812,0,4743965.story North Carolina governor signs tough new voting restrictions Marti Maguire Reuters 6:26 a.m. CDT, August 13, 2013 RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) – North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed into law on Monday a requirement that voters present photo identification at the polls, making it the first state to enact new voting restrictions since the […]
NC Voter ID law challenged in state court
Hillsborough, N.C. – The N.C. A. Philip Randolph Institute, League of Women Voters of North Carolina, and several individual voters have filed a lawsuit challenging the photo ID requirement of North Carolina’s voter suppression law signed by Gov. Pat McCrory. The suit specifically targets provisions of the law that require a state-issued photo ID in […]
Lawsuits filed after Gov. McCrory signs voter ID bill
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/12/3102133/mccrory-signs-voter-id-bill.html By Rob Christensen and Jim Morrill — rchristensen@newsobserver.com and jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com RALEIGH — Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday signed into law a bill requiring voters to produce a photo ID when they go to the polls, and it was immediately met with legal challenges in federal court questioning its constitutionality. The new law brings sweeping […]
Greenville SC Environmental Justice Case Moves Forward
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice provides legal counsel to Southernside Neighborhoods in Action, neighborhood leader Mary Duckett and state Rep. Chandra Dillard. This group of concerned Greenville community members is fighting the closure of the Southernside Bridge and resulting isolation of an already under-served community. Southernside bridge removal spurs civil rights probe Complaint lodged […]