NEW ORLEANS — Lawyers for the state argued Tuesday that a federal judge went too far when she ordered a complete overhaul of the maps laying out Louisiana's House and Senate districts.

U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick last year directed lawmakers to redraw the maps, saying the layout they adopted in 2022 diluted Black voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. 

At the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, state lawyers said that since the lawsuit was filed by only four individuals, Dick's ruling should apply only to the legislative districts in which they live — not every seat across the state.

But according to the plaintiffs, lawmakers unfairly "cracked and packed" the Black population into voting districts in and around Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Natchitoches, New Orleans and Shreveport — "where Black populations are sufficiently large to comprise additional majority-minority districts."

Arguments Tuesday turned on whether tweaks made to one district would spill over into the neighboring district, and whether Dick was write to give the Legislature a do-over.

"Once the court found there was dilution ..., the reality is the Legislature will have to pass a new plan or the court will ultimately have to impose a new plan if the legislature is not able to do so," lawyer Megan Keenan said. "This is not an uncommon feature of redistricting cases."

The three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit did not indicate when it might rule.

The state has been using the maps in dispute, but Dick has said she would look into ordering a special election before the next election cycle.