A three-judge panel of federal judges on Thursday ruled that a special master should be brought in to redraw electoral districts previously found to discriminate against minorities.

The judges had been tasked with determining whether new maps redrawn by Republicans last summer fix problems with 28 electoral districts drawn in 2011 and later found to be racially gerrymandered and therefore unconstitutional.

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On Thursday Judge Eagles informed the parties that the court intends to appoint Stanford law professor Nathaniel Persily to review North Carolina”s newest legislative maps and, if necessary, help the judges redraw the lines in time for the 2018 election.

Persily has previously helped draw district likes for Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland and New York.

The court gave the attorneys two days to file an objection to Persily’s appointment, and said if no valid objections are raised, it will issue a separate order formally appointing the special master and spelling out his duties and instructions. for any research assistants or advisors he needs to retain.

If he is hired, Persily will be paid $500 an hour for his services — about half his normal rate, the court said — and will also be compensated for his expenses and any research assistants and/or advisors he needs to hire.