Recovery of Expert Fees Should Be Allowed in Voting Rights Cases PDF
Preview Recovery of Expert Fees Should Be Allowed in Voting Rights Cases
© American Civil Liberties Union Citations to this report: McDonald and Levitas, The Case for Extending and Amending the Voting Rights Act. Voting Rights Litigation, 1982-2006: A Report of the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, http://www.votingrights.org (March 2006). The American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project Director: Laughlin McDonald Associate Director: Neil Bradley ACLU Voting Rights Project 2600 Marquis One Tower 245 Peachtree Center Ave. Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1227 Tel: 404-523-2721 www.votingrights.org www.aclu.org Cover Design Cassi Niemann i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the significant contributions to the preparation of this report by Nancy Abudu, Meredith Bell-Platts, Neil Bradley, Donna Matern, Katie O'Connor, Leah Rotenberg, Bryan Sells, and Ellen Spears. Special thanks also go to Daniel Linke, University Archivist, for facilitating access to ACLU litigation files in the Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University, and to Joaquin G. Avila, Assistant Professor of Law, Seattle University School of Law, and the William C. Velazquez Research Institute, for providing digitized versions of Section 5 objection letters from the Department of Justice. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................4 I. Section 5 Has Blocked Implementation of Discriminatory Voting Changes....4 II. There Is a Continuing Pattern of Bloc Voting and Racial Polarization in the Covered Jurisdictions.......................................................................................................9 III. Continuing Hostility to Minority Political Participation.................................14 IV. The Continued Need for Section 5........................................................................20 Section 5 Has an Important Deterrent Effect.............................................................22 V. The Courts Routinely Apply the Voting Rights Act...........................................22 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................26 Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act Should Be Extended for 25 Years..................26 Discriminatory Purpose - The Problem Created by Bossier II..............................26 The Decision in Georgia v. Ashcroft...........................................................................29 Federal Observers Are Needed to Prevent Voter Harassment...............................34 Voting Assistance for Language Minorities Is Still Needed..................................35 Recovery of Expert Fees Should Be Allowed in Voting Rights Cases.................36 ALABAMA...........................................................................................................................38 STATEWIDE ISSUES....................................................................................................38 1980 Redistricting............................................................................................................38 Figures v. Hunt............................................................................................................38 Selective Prosecution.....................................................................................................40 Smith v. Meese............................................................................................................40 The 1986 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary............................................................45 Henderson v. Graddick..............................................................................................45 Curry v. Baker..............................................................................................................45 Challenging Alabama=s Disfranchising Laws...........................................................51 Hunter v. Underwood................................................................................................51 COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL LITIGATION IN ALABAMA...............................55 Autauga County..............................................................................................................55 Medders v. Autauga....................................................................................................56 Baldwin County and the City of Foley.......................................................................57 Dillard v. City of Foley..............................................................................................57 Chambers County...........................................................................................................61 Reese v. Yeargan..........................................................................................................61 CONNECTICUT.................................................................................................................65 The City of Bridgeport...................................................................................................65 Bridgeport Coalition for Fair Representation v. City of Bridgeport.................65 FLORIDA..............................................................................................................................70 STATEWIDE ISSUES....................................................................................................70 Protecting Voter Privacy and Enforcing Section 5....................................................70 Spencer v. Harris.........................................................................................................70 i Inez Williams v. Snipes.............................................................................................74 The Counting of Provisional Ballots...........................................................................76 AFL-CIO v. Hood........................................................................................................76 The Counting of Absentee Ballots...............................................................................79 Friedman v. Snipes.....................................................................................................79 COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL LITIGATION IN FLORIDA..................................82 Brevard County and the City of Cocoa.......................................................................82 Stovall v. City of Cocoa..............................................................................................82 DeSoto County and the City of Arcadia.....................................................................86 Johnson v. DeSoto County Board of Commissioners and School Board.........87 Washington v. Arcadia City Council.......................................................................89 Escambia County.............................................................................................................91 Florida v. McMillan....................................................................................................91 Glades County.................................................................................................................92 Thompson v. Glades County....................................................................................92 Hendry County................................................................................................................96 Robinson v. Hendry County Board of Commissioners.......................................96 Palm Beach County and the City of Belle Glade......................................................97 Burton v. Belle Glade.................................................................................................97 Seminole County...........................................................................................................102 de Treville v. Joyner.................................................................................................102 St. Lucie County and the City of Fort Pierce............................................................103 Coleman v. Fort Pierce.............................................................................................103 West Palm Beach...........................................................................................................105 Anderson v. West Palm Beach City Commission...............................................105 GEORGIA..........................................................................................................................108 STATEWIDE ISSUES..................................................................................................108 1980 Congressional Redistricting..............................................................................108 Busbee v. Smith.........................................................................................................108 1990 Redistricting..........................................................................................................113 Miller v. Johnson.......................................................................................................115 2000 Redistricting..........................................................................................................126 Georgia v. Ashcroft...................................................................................................127 Larios v. Cox...............................................................................................................134 The Grand Jury Method of Appointing School Boards........................................137 Johnson County – Grand Jury Appointment of School Boards...........................138 Wilson v. Powell.......................................................................................................138 Ben Hill County – Grand Jury Appointment of School Boards..........................140 Vereen v. Ben Hill County......................................................................................140 Georgia=s Sole Commissioner Form of Government.............................................145 Bleckley County’s Sole Commissioner Form of Government.............................147 Holder v. Hall............................................................................................................147 NAACP of Cochran v. Bleckley County...............................................................147 ii Telfair County’s Sole Commissioner Form of Government................................152 Clark v. Telfair County............................................................................................152 Pulaski County’s Sole Commissioner Form of Government...............................153 Sutton v. Anderson...................................................................................................153 Wheeler County’s Sole Commissioner Form of Government..............................154 Howard v. Commissioner of Wheeler County....................................................154 Georgia's Majority Vote Law......................................................................................155 Brooks v. Miller.........................................................................................................155 Challenging Restrictive Voter Registration Procedures.......................................161 Voter Education Project v. Cleland.......................................................................161 Charles H. Wesley Education Foundation, Inc. v. Cox......................................163 Project VOTE! v. Ledbetter.....................................................................................167 Georgia Judicial Elections...........................................................................................169 Brooks v. Georgia State Board of Elections.........................................................169 Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Districts......................................................178 Evans v. Bennett........................................................................................................178 Protecting Voter Privacy..............................................................................................181 Schwier v. Cox...........................................................................................................181 Challenging Photo Identification Requirements for Voting...............................185 Common Cause v. Billups.......................................................................................185 COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL LITIGATION IN GEORGIA...............................192 Baker County and the City of Newton.....................................................................193 Kelson v. City of Newton........................................................................................193 Baldwin County............................................................................................................197 NAACP v. the Mayor and Alderman of the City of Milledgeville.................197 Boddy v. Hall.............................................................................................................198 Simmons v. Torrance................................................................................................202 Barrow County...............................................................................................................203 In re City of Winder..................................................................................................203 Bartow County...............................................................................................................204 Stephens v. Kennedy................................................................................................204 Bibb County...................................................................................................................206 Orrington v. Israel.....................................................................................................206 Lucas v. Townsend....................................................................................................209 Bulloch County and the Town of Statesboro..........................................................213 Love v. Deal................................................................................................................213 Burke County and the City of Keysville..................................................................219 Sullivan v. DeLoach..................................................................................................219 Bynes v. Board of Commissioners of Burke County..........................................223 Gresham v. Harris.....................................................................................................225 iii Butts County and the City of Jackson.......................................................................234 Brown v. Brown.........................................................................................................234 Brown v. Bailey..........................................................................................................234 Duffey v. Butts County Board of Commissioners..............................................237 Calhoun County............................................................................................................238 Calhoun County Branch of the NAACP v. Calhoun County...........................238 Camden County and the Cities of Kingsland and St. Mary’s..............................240 Haywood v. Edenfield..............................................................................................240 Foreman v. Douglas..................................................................................................245 Baker v. Gay...............................................................................................................247 Carroll County...............................................................................................................249 Wyatt v. Carroll County Board of Commissioners.............................................249 Charlton County............................................................................................................251 Smith v. Carter...........................................................................................................251 Clay County....................................................................................................................256 Frank Davenport v. Clay County Board of Commissioners.............................256 Clayton & Fulton Counties and the City of College Park.....................................259 In re the City of College Park.................................................................................259 Allen v. Reeves..........................................................................................................262 Coffee County and City of Douglas..........................................................................265 NAACP v. Moore......................................................................................................265 Presley v. Coffee County Board of Commissioners...........................................265 Colquitt County and the City of Moultrie...............................................................269 Cross v. Baxter............................................................................................................269 Cook County..................................................................................................................271 Jones v. Cook County...............................................................................................271 Crawford County..........................................................................................................272 Thomas v. Crawford County...................................................................................272 Coweta County..............................................................................................................274 Rush v. Norman.........................................................................................................274 Crisp County..................................................................................................................277 Dent v. Culpepper.....................................................................................................277 Dekalb County..............................................................................................................280 In re the City of Decatur..........................................................................................280 Maher v. Avondale Estates......................................................................................281 Dodge County................................................................................................................284 Brown v. McGriff......................................................................................................284 Dooly County.................................................................................................................285 McKenzie v. Giles.....................................................................................................285 McKenzie v. Dooly County.....................................................................................286 Granville v. Dooly County......................................................................................287 Shaw v. The State.....................................................................................................288 iv Dougherty County and the City of Albany.............................................................289 Mathis v. Whittington..............................................................................................289 Whittington v. Mathis..............................................................................................289 Wright v. City of Albany.........................................................................................289 Knighton v. Dougherty County.............................................................................293 Wright v. Dougherty County..................................................................................293 Douglas County.............................................................................................................295 Simpson v. Douglasville.........................................................................................295 Evans County.................................................................................................................297 Concerned Citizens for Better Government for Evans County v. Deloach...297 Woody v. Evans County Board of Commissioners.............................................297 Floyd County and the City of Rome..........................................................................300 Askew v. City of Rome............................................................................................300 Fulton County................................................................................................................303 Lewis v. City of Atlanta...........................................................................................303 Glynn County................................................................................................................304 Brunswick-Glynn County Charter Commission v. United States..................304 Lyde v. Glynn County Board of Elections............................................................307 Greene County...............................................................................................................310 Bacon v. Higdon........................................................................................................310 Hall County....................................................................................................................312 Bryant v. Miller.........................................................................................................312 Harris County................................................................................................................316 Brown v. Reames.......................................................................................................316 Houston County and the Cities of Perry and Warner Robins..............................319 In re the City of Perry...............................................................................................319 Green and Concerned Citizens of Warner Robins and Houston County v. Mayor and Council of City of Warner Robins....................................................321 Jasper County and the City of Monticello...............................................................323 In re Jasper County and the City of Monticello..................................................323 Jefferson County...........................................................................................................325 Tomlin v. Jefferson County, Georgia Board of Commissioners......................325 Jenkins County..............................................................................................................328 In re Talmadge Fries.................................................................................................328 Green v. Bragg...........................................................................................................329 Johnson County and the City of Wrightsville.........................................................331 Wilson v. Powell.......................................................................................................331 Johnson County Branch of the NAACP v. Johnson County.............................333 Lamar County................................................................................................................334 Strickland v. Lamar County....................................................................................334 Laurens County.............................................................................................................338 Concerned Citizens Committee of Dublin & Laurens County v. Laurens County.........................................................................................................................338 v Liberty County...............................................................................................................340 Bryant v. Liberty County Board of Education.....................................................340 Long County and the City of Ludowici....................................................................343 Glover v. Long County.............................................................................................343 Wallace v. City of Ludowici....................................................................................343 Lowndes County...........................................................................................................344 NAACP of Lowndes County v. Tillman...............................................................344 Macon County................................................................................................................348 Hall v. Macon County..............................................................................................348 Marion County..............................................................................................................349 Story v. Marion County...........................................................................................349 McBride v. Marion County.....................................................................................351 McDuffie County..........................................................................................................353 Bowdry v. McDuffie County Board of Commissioners....................................353 Meriwether County......................................................................................................354 Bray v. City of Greenville........................................................................................354 Miller County................................................................................................................356 Thompson v. Mock...................................................................................................356 Mitchell County............................................................................................................358 Cochran v. Autry.......................................................................................................358 Brown v. McNeill......................................................................................................361 McCoy v. Adams.......................................................................................................361 Morman v. City of Baconton...................................................................................364 Morgan County and the City of Madison................................................................365 Butler v. Underwood................................................................................................365 Edwards v. Morgan County Board of Commissioners, Board of Education, and Board of Registrars............................................................................................365 Muscogee County and the City of Columbus.........................................................368 Fourth Street Baptist Church v. Board of Registrars of Columbus/Muscogee County.........................................................................................................................368 Newton County.............................................................................................................370 Ellis-Cooksey v. Newton County Board of Commissioners.............................370 Peach County.................................................................................................................373 Richardson v. Peach County...................................................................................373 Pike County and the Town of Zebulon....................................................................376 Hughley v. Adams....................................................................................................376 The Town of Zebulon..............................................................................................379 Pulaski County and the City of Hawkinsville........................................................380 Lucas v. Pulaski County Board of Education......................................................380 Putnam County..............................................................................................................384 Clark v. Putnam County..........................................................................................384 vi Randolph County..........................................................................................................389 Cook v. Randolph County.......................................................................................389 Richmond County.........................................................................................................393 United States v. City of Augusta............................................................................393 Hasan v. Mayor and City Council of Augusta.....................................................393 Schley County and the City of Ellaville...................................................................399 In re the City of Ellaville.........................................................................................399 Screven County..............................................................................................................400 Culver v. Krulic.........................................................................................................400 Watson v. Screven County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education .......................................................................................................................................402 Seminole County and the City of Donalsonville...................................................403 Moore v. Shingler......................................................................................................403 Spalding County and the City of Griffin.................................................................405 Spalding County VEP v. Cowart............................................................................406 Reid v. Martin............................................................................................................406 NAACP v. City of Griffin........................................................................................409 NAACP v. Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education.................................410 Sumter County and the City of Americus................................................................411 Edge v. Sumter County School District................................................................413 Foust v. Unger............................................................................................................419 Hoston v. Board of Commissioners of Sumter County.....................................420 Cooper v. Sumter County Board of Commissioners..........................................422 Nance v. Department of Human Resources.........................................................423 Tattnall County..............................................................................................................425 Carter v. Tootle..........................................................................................................425 Williams v. Tattnall County Board of Commissioners.....................................426 Windgate v. Tattnall County Board of Commissioners....................................427 Taylor County and the City of Butler.......................................................................428 Chatman v. Spillers..................................................................................................428 Telfair County and the Town of Lumber City........................................................431 Spaulding v. Telfair County...................................................................................431 Clark v. Telfair County............................................................................................431 Woodard v. Mayor and Town Council of Lumber City....................................434 Crisp v. Telfair County............................................................................................439 Terrell County................................................................................................................441 Holloway v. Terrell County Board of Commissioners......................................441 Toombs County and the City of Lyons.....................................................................444 Maxwell v. Aiken......................................................................................................444 Treutlen County and the City of Soperton..............................................................447 Smith v. Gillis............................................................................................................447 Flanders v. Soperton.................................................................................................447 vii
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