Supreme Court sidesteps gerrymandering suits

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped challenges to so-called gerrymandering, wherein oddly shaped districts are created to entrench political parties.

In one case, Gill v. Whitford, the court ruled that the plaintiffs — Wisconsin Democrats — lacked standing. “We leave for another day consideration of other possible theories of harm not presented here and whether those theories might present justiciable claims giving rise to statewide remedies,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts.

In Benisek v. Lamone, brought by Maryland Republicans, the Supreme Court ruled that a lower court’s denial of an injunction “cannot be regarded as an abuse of discretion.”