On Wednesday, the City of Santa Clara filed an appeal of Judge Thomas Kuhnle’s ruling that Santa Clara’s at-large by-seat election system discriminates against minorities. Other California cities have appealed California Voting Rights Act judgments. None won their appeals. But all increased their legal bills substantially. In Palmdale, not only did the city incur an … Read more
Since Superior Court Judge Thomas Kuhnle found Santa Clara had violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), the public conversation has been dominated by alternative districting maps, election sequencing, the extent of judicial power over charter cities and a fast track schedule for implementing a new by-district representation system in time for November’s election. But … Read more
Yesterday an amended order was published in Santa Clara’s California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) lawsuit directing the sequencing of elections for the City’s new by-district Council. Superior Court Judge Thomas Kuhnle also ruled that the plaintiffs are entitled to recoup their legal fees and costs — which are likely to be in the millions — and … Read more
Today, the judge in Santa Clara’s California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) lawsuit, Thomas Kuhnle, published an amendment to his July 23 order showing the sequence of elections for Santa Clara’s new by-district City Council. Districts 2 and 3 will elect their first district representatives in November, and the remaining four districts will elect their first … Read more