After arguments in the Council’s appeal were heard, the Appeals Court ruled against the Council, that the Davis map was passed illegally, and must be replaced with the Commission map immediately. Council Chair Calvin Hawkins made it clear in his statement that while he disagreed with the court ruling, the Council would abide by it.
While we will comply with the Maryland Court of Appeals decision, the Prince George’s County Council appealed the lower court’s ruling because Ballot Question A was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of Prince George’s County in 2012. Under the Council’s interpretation, the approval of this ballot initiative gave the Council authority to adopt the 2021 Redistricting Plan through Council Resolution, after notice to the public and a public hearing.
https://pgccouncil.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1175
Matthew G. Sawyer, a lawyer for the county residents who opposed the map, told the Daily Record, “This was the right decision. The council didn’t want to listen, but the people made their voices heard.”
You can read the court’s decision here: