A liberal group that has filed suit to change the way Alabama judges are elected isn’t likely to get very far, according to a constitutional law expert in the state.

The lawsuit – filed by the NAACP Alabama chapter and four black voters – alleges the state of Alabama violates the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against African Americans. John Eidsmoe, senior counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law, responds to the suit.

“Since we elect these [judges] statewide and since no blacks are currently serving in those positions and have not for approximately 15 years, they’re saying that this constitutes a pattern of discrimination and they want us to break up the system by which we elect our judges to set up districts,” he summarizes.

Perhaps one district is predominantly black. Eidsmoe tells OneNewsNow history shows Alabama at one point was predominantly Democrat and virtually all statewide posts were held by Democrats, and blacks voted for Democrats.

“Now there’s been a shift in voting patterns over the past 25 years to the point where now they are all Republican,” he says. “Whereas back in 1990, when I came to Alabama, it was very unusual for a Republican to be able to win a statewide election. Now it takes a very unusual circumstance for a Democrat to win a statewide election.”

Blacks have continued to vote Democratic 90 to 95 percent of the time, which explains the lack of African Americans in statewide-elected posts. Eidsmoe suggests that if there were predominantly black districts, it might guarantee one state Supreme Court justice –  but it could also potentially mean there would be only one on the court. He believes the lawsuit will not gain traction.