Pasadena Moves To Settle Voting Rights Lawsuit

PASADENA, TX — The City of Pasadena is moving toward settle the voting rights lawsuit filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund three years ago, but it will likely cost the city financially.

Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner asked the city council to settle the lawsuit that accused the city of diluting and suppressing Latino votes through a voting system proposed by former Mayor Johnny Isbell in 2013.

A settlement would result in the city paying just over $1 million in legal fees, and put an end to a legal chapter that that placed Pasadena in an unfavorable national spotlight. (Want to get daily news updates and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Pasadena Patch morning newsletter.)

RELATED: Pasadena Won’t Fight Appeals Court Ruling On Voting Rights Lawsuit, For Now

The case went to court in November 2016, and resulted in a courtroom defeat in January when U.S. District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ruled against Pasadena’s voting district configuration for city council seats, and stated that it violated the Voting Rights Act, and served to dilute the voice of a growing Latino voting bloc in Pasadena.

The city appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court in February, and lost that fight, as well, and was considering a second appeal in the wake of elections that saw a massive turnover in May.

However, officials in Pasadena felt the time to end this appeal was in the city’s best interest.

Wagner said that while he didn’t think the city had intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act, he didn’t believe that is time for the city to close this chapter and move on, the Houston Chronicle reported.

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