San Juan County withdraws appeals in voting rights lawsuits

San Juan County has withdrawn all appeals of the voting rights lawsuits that resulted in new voting districts in the county.
By a unanimous vote on July 29, the San Juan County Commission withdrew all appeals. The decision was made after a special meeting of the Commission that included a lengthy closed session.
In July, the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the decisions of Federal Judge Robert Shelby in the multiyear voting rights lawsuit.
Shelby set up new voting districts for the 2018 election after he ruled that the previous election districts violated several aspects of the U.S. Constitution.
For the first time, two Native American Commissioners were elected to the three person San Juan County Commission.
With the appeal process complete, the case moves back to Judge Shelby. He is expected to rule on court costs.
Commissioners expressed an interest in meeting with the plaintiffs to discuss a final settlement of the lawsuit. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have submitted approximately $3.1 million in legal fees that may need to be paid by the county.