Appeals court leaves Michigan voter data ruling in place, rejects DOJ do-over

The full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to reconsider a ruling that blocked its demand for Michigan's unredacted statewide voter file. A three-judge panel had ruled in June that DOJ could not use Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to compel Michigan to hand over its voter database.

The full court denied DOJ's rehearing petition after fewer than half of the judges voted to take up the case, leaving the panel's ruling as binding precedent in the circuit. The court did not release a vote count or a majority opinion explaining the denial.

A concurrence from Judge Eric Murphy, joined by Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton and Judge Joan Larsen and joined in large part by Judge Chad Readler, said DOJ's problems were largely procedural and could be fixed without full-court intervention, such as by sending a clearer written request. Judges Richard Griffin and John Bush dissented, as did Judge Amul Thapar in a separate opinion joined by Griffin, Bush, John Nalbandian and Chad Hermandorfer, arguing the full court should have reheard the case.

The ruling adds to a string of losses for DOJ, which has pressed the same legal theory in courts across the country while seeking states' full voter registration databases.

Read the full story at democracydocket.com.