Supreme Court Considers Controversial South Carolina Racial Gerrymandering Case

The Supreme Court heard arguments in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, a case challenging South Carolina's congressional map as an impermissible racial gerrymander. The lower court had found the map unconstitutional, but Justice Samuel Alito seemed determined to change the law and have the Supreme Court serve as a super-trial court, rejecting trial court findings that the conservative majority doesn't like. Alito questioned the "clear error" standard and posed numerous questions to the parties involved, suggesting a departure from the court's current standard of review. The outcome of the case remains uncertain, but if Alito's approach prevails, it could pose a potential barrier to the full enforcement of voting rights.