DHKL served as appellate counsel in this case. The City of Palmdale appealed a preliminary injunction secured by plaintiffs, who were Latino and African-American voters. The trial court had found, after a trial, that the City of Palmdale’s at-large method of election for city council violated the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”). The trial court then issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the City from using its at-large election system in the November 2013 election. On appeal, the City of Palmdale argued that the trial court should not have issued a preliminary injunction because the CVRA does not apply to charter cities.

On May 28, 2014, DHKL and co-counsel secured a victory for CVRA plaintiffs confirming that the CVRA applies to charter cities, ensuring that this important civil rights statute protects the rights of voters across California. The case was eventually settled, with Palmdale moving to by district elections and paying a substantial amount of attorneys’ fees for the prolonged litigation.