Supreme Court rules North Carolina illegally packed blacks into two voting districts

The Hill  The Supreme Court ruled Monday that North Carolina illegally packed black voters into two voting districts.

In a 5-3 ruling, the justices affirmed the decision of a lower court. That ruling said North Carolina officials used race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines without a compelling reason when they created two districts — the 1st District and the 12th District — with majority-black voting-age populations.

In a rare move, Justice Clarence Thomas, a member of the court's conservative wing, sided with Kagan and the court’s more liberal members — Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.