Tallahassee, Florida - A judge has struck down Florida congressional maps signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, ruling that they strip voting power from Black communities.

On Saturday, Leon County Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled in favor of voting rights groups that had argued that Florida's redistricting maps reduce Black political power at the ballot box.

"Under the stipulated facts (in the lawsuit), plaintiffs have shown that the enacted plan results in the diminishment of Black voters' ability to elect their candidate of choice in violation of the Florida constitution," Marsh wrote.

The lawsuit focused on a North Florida district previously represented by Democratic Rep. Al Lawson, who is Black. Big changes to electoral lines during the latest redistricting cycle resulted in all of North Florida's congressional districts going to white candidates during the 2022 midterms.

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In 2010, Florida adopted a constitutional amendment known as the Fair Districts Amendment, which prohibited the creation of electoral maps that would "diminish" minorities' ability to "elect representatives of their choice."

Marsh has ordered the state legislature to "enact a remedial map in compliance" with the state constitution.

The state is expected to appeal the decision, teeing up a possible showdown before the Florida Supreme Court.