Ferris believes suit will be appealed

A local plaintiff who was suing the state over "prison gerrymandering" said he is confident that a judge's decision to throw out his case will be appealed, and then overturned.

A 2010 law changed where prisoners were counted for the purposes of redistricting: at their home addresses, rather than their prison cells. Jefferson County Legislator Bobby Ferris, who represents the area that includes Watertown Correctional Facility, was one of many plaintiffs on a suit that sought to overturn the law. The law gives New York City a population boost and siphons away population from the north country when the state redraws its political boundaries, which will make redrawing state Senate lines even more difficult than it already is, given the anemic population growth.

"I am confident that we will be appealing the decision," Mr. Ferris told me in an email last night. "I also believe that it will be overturned in our favor. I stand firm in my belief that if you reside in Jefferson County for a year or more, you will receive services from our county and should be considered a county resident."

Also on the lawsuit were Republican state Sens. Patty Ritchie and Joe Griffo and Ogdensburg Mayor Bill Nelson, also a Republican.