A Richmond judge issued a ruling on Friday upholding the constitutionality of 11 state legislative districts which were challenged as being designed for the political purposes.

Ruling by the Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant is a setback for redistricting reform advocates in the Virginia. Lawsuit was backed by the reform group OneVirginia2021.

The decision will likely be appealed.

Marchant heard evidence during a three-day bench trial in the March relating to five state House districts and six state Senate districts drawn by the Virginia General Assembly in the year 2011.

The plaintiffs who sued the state argued that the districts were a politically motivated gerrymander and were not compact as required by the law. But the lawyers with office of Attorney General Mark H. Herring and a private firm retained to represent the Virginia House of Delegates argued that districts conformed with the state constitutional requirements.

The case was one of the two pending legal challenges to district lines drawn by the General Assembly; a second case in the federal court challenges districts of African-Americans in legislature, the arguing lawmakers packed too many blacks into the districts to solidify Republican-friendly majority-white districts around them.

NRIs not eligible for Aadhaar Card

The House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, issued a statement celebrating the ruling and also defending the lines drawn by House Republican leaders.

Wyatt Durrette Jr., an attorney for the OneVirginia2021, issued a statement which said,  he was disappointed. But he also said aspects of the ruling would limit the ability of the General Assembly to gerrymander in the future.

“So, while we are disappointed that the court did not resolve the case in our favor, Judge Marchant has given those who supported this effort significant help in continuing this battle for redistricting reform,” Durrette said in a statement. “As for where we go from here, it is too early to say for sure but an appeal is most likely.”

Mrudula Duddempudi.