Political Linedrawing ‘Compactness’ Perplexes NJ Justices

The term “compactness” left the New Jersey Supreme Court befuddled Monday during a marathon oral argument in a case holding broad implications for the drawing of political lines.

The case concerned a ward in Jersey City where the plaintiffs say wealthy residents of high-rise buildings in the otherwise low-income area tanked the election of a candidate supporting more low-income housing. But how the court wades through the murky case could impact line-drawing for congressional and state legislative districts and future gerrymandering challenges because the residents are asking the justices to consider their “communities of interest” and mathematical formulas when weighing ...