Hunt v. Cromartie: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Hunt v. Cromartie 526 US 541, 550 was a US Supreme Court case, ruling on May 17, 1999, over the contentionous 12th district of North Carolina (Case No. 98-85). In an earlier case, Shaw v. Hunt, the Supreme Court ruled that the 12th district of North Carolina as drawn was unconstitutional because it was created for the purpose of placing African-Americans in one district thereby constituting illegal racial gerrymandering. The Court then ordered the state of North Carolina to redraw the boundaries of the district.

In this followup case, the Supreme Court ruled that the state was able to justify the new boundaries of the 12th district by showing that it was intended to create a safe seat for Democrats, and therefore the redrawn district was a constitutional example of political gerrymandering.