Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 1 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 No. 17-40884 In The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit MARC VEASEY; JANE HAMILTON; SERGIO DELEON; FLOYD CARRIER; ANNA BURNS; MICHAEL MONTEZ; PENNY POPE; OSCAR ORTIZ; KOBY OZIAS; LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS; JOHN MELLOR-CRUMMEY; DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS; GORDON BENJAMIN; KEN GANDY; EVELYN BRICKNER, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. GREG ABBOTT, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS; ROLANDO PABLOS, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE; STATE OF TEXAS; STEVE MCCRAW, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, Defendants-Appellants. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, TEXAS LEAGUE OF YOUNG VOTERS EDUCATION FUND, IMANI CLARK, Intervenor Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF TEXAS; ROLANDO PABLOS, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE; STEVE MCCRAW, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, Defendants-Appellants. TEXAS STATE CONFERENCE OF NAACP BRANCHES; MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS, TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. ROLANDO PABLOS, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE; STEVE MCCRAW, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, Defendants-Appellants. LENARD TAYLOR; EULALIO MENDEZ, JR., LIONEL ESTRADA; ESTELA GARCIA ESPINOSA; MAXIMINA MARTINEZ LARA; LA UNION DEL PUEBLO ENTERO, INCORPORATED, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. STATE OF TEXAS; ROLANDO PABLOS, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE; STEVE MCCRAW, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, Defendants-Appellants. On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division, Nos. 2:13-cv-193, 2:13-cv-263, 2:13-cv-291, and 2:13-cv-348 BRIEF FOR PRIVATE PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES Counsel listed on inside cover Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 2 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 JON M. GREENBAUM DANIEL GAVIN COVICH EZRA D. ROSENBERG COVICH LAW FIRM LLC BRENDAN B. DOWNES Frost Bank Plaza LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL 802 N Carancahua, Suite 2100 RIGHTS UNDER LAW Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 1401 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 400 GARY BLEDSOE Washington, D.C. 20005 POTTER BLEDSOE, LLP 316 W. 12th Street, Suite 307 WENDY WEISER Austin, Texas 78701 MYRNA PÉREZ MAXIMILLIAN L. FELDMAN VICTOR GOODE THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE NAACP AT NYU LAW SCHOOL 4805 Mt. Hope Drive 120 Broadway, Suite 1750 Baltimore, Maryland 21215 New York, New York 10271 ROBERT NOTZON SIDNEY S. ROSDEITCHER THE LAW OFFICE OF ROBERT NOTZON PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & 1502 West Avenue GARRISON, LLP Austin, Texas 78701 1285 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019-6064 Counsel for the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches and LINDSEY B. COHAN the Mexican American Legislative DECHERT LLP Caucus of the Texas House of 500 W. 6th Street, Suite 2010 Representatives Austin, Texas 78701 NEIL STEINER DECHERT LLP 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10036-6797 JOSE GARZA LAW OFFICE OF JOSE GARZA 7414 Robin Rest Drive San Antonio, Texas 98209 Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 3 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 J. GERALD HEBERT LUIS ROBERTO VERA, JR. DANIELLE M. LANG* LAW OFFICE OF LUIS ROBERTO VERA CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER JR. 1411 K Street NW Suite 1400 111 Soledad, Suite 1325 Washington, D.C. 20005 San Antonio, Texas 78205 *Admitted in New York and California Courts only; Practice limited to U.S. Counsel for LULAC Courts and federal agencies. SHERRILYN IFILL CHAD W. DUNN JANAI NELSON K. SCOTT BRAZIL LEAH C. ADEN BRAZIL & DUNN DEUEL ROSS 4201 Cypress Creek Parkway, Suite CARA MCCLELLAN 530 NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND Houston, Texas 77068 EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. 40 Rector Street, 5th Floor ARMAND G. DERFNER New York, New York 10006 DERFNER & ALTMAN 575 King Street, Suite B JONATHAN PAIKIN Charleston, South Carolina 29403 KELLY P. DUNBAR TANIA FARANSSO NEIL G. BARON WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE LAW OFFICE OF NEIL G. BARON AND DORR LLP 914 FM 517 W, Suite 242 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Dickinson, Texas 77539 Washington, D.C. 20006 DAVID RICHARDS Counsel for Imani Clark RICHARDS, RODRIGUEZ & SKEITH, LLP 816 Congress Avenue, Suite 1200 ROLANDO L. RIOS Austin, Texas 78701 115 E. Travis, Suite 1645 San Antonio, Texas 78205 Counsel for Veasey/LULAC Plaintiffs Counsel for the Texas Association of Hispanic County Judges and County Commissioners Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 4 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 ROBERT W. DOGGETT SHOSHANNA KRIEGER TEXAS RIOGRANDE LEGAL AID 4920 N. IH-35 Austin, Texas 78751 JOSE GARZA TEXAS RIOGRANDE LEGAL AID 1111 N. Main Ave. San Antonio, Texas 78212 Counsel for Lenard Taylor, Eulalio Mendez Jr., Lionel Estrada, Estela Garcia Espinoza, Maximina Martinez Lara, and La Union Del Pueblo Entero, Inc. Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 5 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PERSONS The undersigned counsel of record certifies that the following listed persons and entities as described in the fourth sentence of Rule 28.2.1 have an interest in the outcome of this case. These representations are made in order that the judges of this court may evaluate possible disqualification or recusal. Private Plaintiffs-Appellees Former or Current Counsel • Marc Veasey • Neil G. Baron • Jane Hamilton • Brazil & Dunn • Sergio DeLeon • Joshua James Bone • Floyd Carrier • Kembel Scott Brazil • Anna Burns • Campaign Legal Center • Michael Montez • Armand Derfner • Penny Pope • Chad W. Dunn • Oscar Ortiz • Mark P. Gaber • Koby Ozias • J. Gerald Hebert • John Mellor-Crumley • Danielle M. Lang • Ken Gandy • David Richards • Gordon Benjamin • Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith, • Evelyn Brickner LLP • Dallas County, Texas • Paul March Smith • League of United Latin • Luis Roberto Vera, Jr. American Citizens • Mexican American Legislative • Vishal Agraharkar Caucus, Texas House of • Jennifer Clark Representatives • Brennan Center for Justice • Texas State Conference of • Lindsey B. Cohan NAACP Branches • Gary Bledsoe • Covich Law Firm LLC • Dechert LLP • Daniel Gavin Covich • Brendan B. Downes • Maximillian L. Feldman i Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 6 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 Private Plaintiffs-Appellees Former or Current Counsel • Jose Garza • Victor Goode • Jon M. Greenbaum • Law Office of Jose Garza • Law Office of Robert Notzon • Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights Under Law • Robert Notzon • NAACP • Myrna Perez • Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP • Potter Bledsoe, LLP • Sidney S. Rosdeitcher • Ezra D. Rosenberg • Amy L. Rudd • Neil Steiner • Wendy Weiser • Michelle Yeary • Erandi Zamora • Estela Garcia Espinosa • Jose Garza • Lionel Estrada • Robert W. Doggett • La Union Del Pueblo Entero, • Shoshanna Krieger Inc. • Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, • Maximina Martinez Lara Inc. • Eulalio Mendez, Jr. • Marinda van Dalen • Lenard Taylor • Imani Clark • Leah C. Aden • Hasan Ali • Danielle Conley • Kelly Dunbar • Thaddeus Eagles • Lynn Eisenberg • Tania C. Faransso ii Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 7 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 Private Plaintiffs-Appellees Former or Current Counsel • Ryan Haygood • Sherrilyn A. Ifill • Natasha Korgaonkar • Sonya Lebsack • Cara McClellan • Coty Montag • Janai S. Nelson • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. • Jonathan E. Paikin • Deuel Ross • Richard Short • Christina A. Swarns • Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP • Texas Association of Hispanic • Rolando L. Rios County Judges and County Commissioners Non-Private Plaintiffs-Appellees Counsel • United States of America • Anna Baldwin • Meredith Bell-Platts • Robert S. Berman • Thomas E. Chandler • Richard Dellheim • Diana K. Flynn • Daniel J. Freeman • Gregory B. Friel • Bruce I. Gear • John M. Gore • Bradley E. Heard • T. Christian Herren, Jr. • Jennifer L. Maranzano • Abe Martinez iii Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 8 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 • Avner Michael Shapiro • U.S. Department of Justice • Elizabeth S. Westfall Defendants-Appellants Counsel • Greg Abbott, in his official • Adam W. Aston capacity as Governor of Texas • J. Campbell Barker • Roland Pablos, in his official • James D. Blacklock capacity as Texas Secretary of • J. Reed Clay, Jr. State • Angela V. Colmenero • State of Texas • Arthur C. D’Andrea • Steve McGraw, in his official • Ben A. Donnell capacity as Director of the Texas • Matthew H. Frederick Department of Public Safety • Stephen Ronald Keister • Scott A. Keller • Jason R. LaFond • Donald A. Kieshnick • Jeffrey C. Mateer • Office of the Attorney General • Ken Paxton • Jennifer M. Roscetti • John B. Scott • Stephen Lyle Tatum, Jr. • G. David Whitley • Lindsey Elizabeth Wolf /s/ Lindsey B. Cohan Lindsey B. Cohan Counsel for Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches & MALC iv Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 9 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT This matter is currently scheduled for oral argument before the Court on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. Private Plaintiffs-Appellees agree that this case warrants oral argument. v Case: 17-40884 Document: 00514229085 Page: 10 Date Filed: 11/07/2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ...................................................................... x INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 COUNTER-STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION ...................................... 4 COUNTER-STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES ........................................... 4 STANDARD