United States v. Caldwell Brief Amius Curiae
Public Court Documents
January 1, 1971

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Brief Collection, LDF Court Filings. United States v. Board of Education for the City of Savannah, Chatham County Brief for Plaintiff-Intervenor and Appellant, 1968. ea66404b-c79a-ee11-be37-000d3a574715. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/1599ffd8-0ed3-4fb8-a791-f32a0cb12262/united-states-v-board-of-education-for-the-city-of-savannah-chatham-county-brief-for-plaintiff-intervenor-and-appellant. Accessed April 28, 2025.
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N o. 26001 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFT H C IR C U IT UNITED STATES OF A M ER ICA, PLAIN TIFF-IN TER VEN O R AND A P P E L IA N T , AND RALPH S T E L L , ET A L . , P IA IN T IF F THE BOARD OF PU B LIC EDUCATION FOR THE C IT Y OF SAVANNAH AND THE COUNTY OF CHATHAM, DEFENDANTa n d a p p e l l e e , a n d La w r e n c e Ro b e r t s , e t a l . ,INTERVENORS AND APPELLEES ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES D IS T R IC T COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN D IS T R IC T OF GECRGIA B R IE F FOR PLA IN TIFF-IN TER VEN O R AND APPELLANT STEHIEN J . POLLAKA s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a lDONALD H . FRASERU n i t e d S t a t e s A t t o r n e yNATHAN LEWIN KENNETH L . JOHNSON FLETCHEm FARRINGTON A t t o r n e y sD e p a r t m e n t o f J u s t i c e W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . 2"5‘530 INDEX s t a t e m e n t --------------------------.. S p e c i E i c a t i c n s o f E r r o rA r g u m e n t -------- -------- ----------C o n c l u s i o n ------------------------A D p e n d i x A' r---------------------- i - ' - ' •> ’ ' iS t e l l 'v;; B o a rd o f P u b l i c E d u c a t i o n f o r t he C i t y o f S a v a n n a h and t h e C o u n t v o f C h a t h a m , 387 F , 2 d , 1T86, ( C . A . 5 , 1967) -------------------------------------------------- - - P a g e 1 2 2 6A - 1TABLE OF CASES ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 , 5Y e d l i n v . L e w i s , 320 F . 2 d 3 5 , ( C . A . 5 , 1 9 6 3 ) ------- ^M c K n i g h t v . A k i n s , 192 F . 2 d 6 7 4 , ( C . A . 6 , 1951) - 4C i t y o f S t u a r t v . G r e e n , 94 F . 2 d 9 4 2 , ( C . A . 5 ,1 9 3 S T ---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- - 4U n i t e d S t a t e s v . W a r d , 349 F . 2 d 7 9 5 , ( C . A . 5 , 196T5'---------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ 5S t a t u t e s :R u l e 5 4 ( d ) , F e d e r a l R u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e --------- 2 , 428 U . S . C . 2214 ( S u p p . 1966) ------------------------------------------- 3 42 U . S . C . 2000C-7 --------------------------------------------------------------- 4C i v i l R i g h t s A c t o f 1964T i t l e I V ( S e c t i o n 408) ------------------------------------------- 4T i t l e I X ( S e c t i o n 902) ------------------------------------------- 4 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS PDR THE F IF T H C I R C U I T K; 26001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PIF^INTIFF-INTERVENOR AND A P P E L I A i r r , AND P^LPH S T E L L , ET A L . , P L A I N T I F F V . THE BOARD OF P U B L IC EDUCATION FOR THE C l TV OFSa v a n n a h a n d t h e c o u n t y o f Ch a t h a m , d e f e n d a n t a n d A P P E L L E E S , AND :'^A;RENCE ROBERTS , F,T A L . , INTERVENORS AND APPELLEES ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES D I S T R I C T COLTIT FOR THE SOUTHERN D I S T R I C T OF CEORGIA B R IE F FOR PLA IN T IFF-IN T ER VE N O R AInD APPEL IANT STATl:.:;Ê J r T h i s s c h o o l d e s e g r e g a t i o n c a s e i s o n c e more i nt h i s C o u r t on a p p e a l by t h e U n i t e d wStates f r o m t h ed i s t r i c t c o u r t ’ s o r d e r o f D ecem b er 2 8 , 1 9 6 7 . “ ^ OnD ecem b er k, 1 9 6 7 , t h i s C o u r t d i r e c t e d t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n ," w i t h o u t t h e n e c e s s i t y f o r a n y f u r t h e r o r d e r by t h ed i s t r i c t c o u r t , " o f a " D e s e g r e g a t i o n P l a n f o r t h e Boa rdo f E d u c a t i o n f o r t h e C i t y o f S a v a n n a h and t h e C o u n t yo f C h a t h a m , " 387 F . 2d U 86 , a t ^ 9 2 - i j 9 3 . I n a d d i t i o n ,t h i s C o u r t i n r u l i n g on a m o t i o n f o r d i s m i s s a l o f t h e" R o b e r t s I n t e r v e n o r s " (who i n t e r v e n e d on t h e s i d e o ft h e d e f e n d a n t s ) s t a t e d (387 F . 2 d a t 4 9 3 ) :We do c o n s i d e r i t t o be i n a c c o r d w i t h p r o p e r l e g a l p r i n c i p l e s to a s s e s s t h e c o s t s o f t h i s a p p e a l and t h e c o s t s o f t h e p r o c e e d i n g s i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t w h i c h h a v e been i n c u r r e d by a n y p a r t y i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e e f f o r t s b y t h e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n o r s t o e s t a b l i s h t h e t h e o r y on w h i c h t h e y p r o c e e d e d i n t h e c a s e ro be t a x e d t o th e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n o r s . The p a r t i e s may s u b m i t to t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e b i l l s o f c o s t t o c a r r y o u t t h i s p a r t o f t h e o r d e r f o r t h e a p p r o v a l o f t h e t r i a l _ _ !/ The o r d e r i s a t t a c h e d a s A p p e n d i x A . On May 1 6 , 1 9 6 8 , t h i s C o u r t g r a n t e d t h e m o t i o n o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s to d i s p e n s e w i t h t h e p r i n t i n g o f t h e r e c o r d . c o u r t i n a l l o c a t i n g t h e c o s t s a s h e r e p r o v i d e d f o r .On r e m a n d , t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t a d o p t e d t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h i s C o u r t a s i t s ovzn, b u t a d d e d t o t h e o r d e r t h e f o l l o v j i n g l a n g u a g e ( A p p e n d i x A , i r f i ' a ) :I f I am now a u t h o r i z o r d e r o f t h e C i r c u i t c o s t s a g a i n s t p a r t i e t h e i r c o n d u c t , t h e n , 2000C-7 o f T i t l e h2, A n n o t a t e d , and f o r b d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t f o r t e a c h i n g p o s i t i o n s C o u n t y on t h e b a s i s o f c o u r t c o s t s i n c u r r e d became a p a r t y a r e h t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , ed and d i r e c t e d by C o u r t to award s on t h e b a s i s o f p u r s u a n t t o S e c . o f U . S . Code d f a i t h i n c o n d o n i n g v. 'hite a p p l i c a n t s i n S a v a n n a h - C h a t h a m t h e i r c o l o r , a l l s i n c e t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s e r e b y aw arded a g a i n s t U n d e r no c o n d i t i o n s h a l l t h e p r o c e s s e s o f t h i s C o u r t be u s e d to a s s e s s o r c o l l e c t c o s t s from a n y p a r t y u n d e r t h e u n f o u n d e d a s s u m p t i o n t h a t i t o r t h e y i n d u c e d t h i s c o u r t t o r e p e a t e d l y do w r o n g s i n t h i s c a s e ,S P E C I F I C A T I O N S OF ERROR ̂• The, d i s t r i c t c o u r t e r r e d i n a s s e s s i n g c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s .The d i s t r i c t c o u r t d i s o b e y e d t h i s C o u r t ' s m a n d a te i n f a i l i n g to award c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n o r s . ARGUMENT 1 . R u l e 5it(d) o f t h e F e d e r a l R u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e p r o v i d e s i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t : - 2 - E x c e p t when e x p r e s s p r o v i s i o n i s made t h e r e f o r e i t h e r i n a s t a t u t e o f t i i e U n i t e d S t a t e s o r i n t h e s e r u l e s , c o s t s s h a l l be a l l o v / e d a s o f c o u r s e t o t h e p r e x ^ a i l i n g p a r t y u n l e s s t h e c o u r t o t h e r w i s e d i r e c t s ; b u t c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , i t s o f f i c e r s , and a g e n c i e s s h a l l be im p os e d o n l y t o t h e e x t e n t p e r m i t t e d by l a w .The p r o v i s i o n o f t h e J u d i c i a l Code w h i c h p e r t a i n s g e n e r a l l y t o t h e m a t t e r o f c o s t s i n c a s e s i n w h i c h t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s i s a p a r t y i s 28 U . S . C . 2 ^ 1 2 , amended i n 1 9 6 6 , 80 S t a t . 3 0 8 . I t p r o v i d e s t h a t a jhidgment f o r c o s t s "may be aw ard ed to t h e p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y i n a n y c i v i l a c t i o n b r o u g h t by o r a g a i n s t th e U n i t e d S t a t e sThe a b o v e s t a t e d R u l e and s t a t u t e make i t e n t i r e l y c l e a r t h a t uhei-e i s no a u t h o r i t y ' w h a t e v e r t o award c o s t s a g a i n s t a p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y , and t h a t a s s u r e d l y no s u c h a u t h o r i t y e x i s t s when t h a t p a r t y i s t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s .Y e t t h a t i s p r e c i s e l y w h at t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t d i d h e r e .I n t h i s c a s e , t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s was a p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y ; i t s o b j e c t i o n s t o t h e d e s e g r e g a t i o n p l a n s p r o p o s e d by t h e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n e r s and a d o p t e d by t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t w e re s u s t a i n e d on a p p e a l . The same was t r u e o f - 3 - i t s o b j e c t i o n s to t h e s c h o o l b o a r d ’ s p l a n s . T h i s a s p e c t o f t h e l i t i g a t i o n was n o t i n i t i a t e d o r p r o l o n g e d by t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . To aw ard c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s i n s u c h c i r c u m s t a n c e s i s p l a i n l y i m p e r m i s s i b l e .S e e Y e d l i n v . L ; w i s , 320 F . 2 d 3 5 , ( C . A . 5 , 1 9 6 3 ) ;!M g K n i g h t V . A k i n s . 192 F . 2 d 6 7 9 , ( C . A . 6 , 1 9 5 1 ) ; C i t y o f S t u a r t v|. 99 F . 2 d 9 9 2 , ( C . A . 5 , 1 9 3 8 ) .N o r d o e s 92 U . S . C . 2 0 0 0 c - 7 ( S e c t i o n 908 o f t h e A c t o f 1969) , on w h i c h t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t r e l i e d , p r o v i d e a n y a u t h o r i t y f o r t h e c h a l l e n g e d p r o v i s i o n o f I t s o r o e r . I n t h e f i r s t p l a c e , t h a t s t a t u t o r y p r o v i s i o n a p n l i c s o n l y t o a c t i o n s i n s t i t u t e d u n d e r T i t l e I V o f t h e C i v i l R i g h t s A c t o f 1 9 69 ; t h e p r e s e n t s u i twas n o t i n s t i t u t e d u n d e r t h a t T i t l e , and t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ’ iP a r t i c i p a t i o n i r i t i s b a s e d upon t h e more g e n e r a l i n t e r v e n t i o n p r o v i s i o n o f S e c t i o n 902 o f t h e A c t , v/hich a p p e a r s i n T i t l e I X , I n a d d i t i o n . S e c t i o n 908 m e r e l y r e n d e r s t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ’ ’ l i a b l e f o r c o s t s t h e same a s a p r i v a t e p e r s o n . ” A s we h a v e d e m o n s t r a t e d . R u l e 59(d) o f t h e F e d e r a l R u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e l i m i t s an aw ard o f c o s t s ” t o t h e p r e v a i l i n g p a r t y , ” n o t a g a i n s t s u c h a p a r t y .I n t h e p r e s e n t c a s e , t h e r e f o r e , i t w o u ld n e t a u t h o r i z e •the p r o v i s i o n c h a l l e n g e d h e r e by t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s .F i n a l l y , t h e r e i s no f a c t u a l f o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e a s s e r t i o n t h a t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s was g u i l t y o f bad f a i t h ” iri . c o n d o n i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t w h i t e " a p p l i c a n t s f o r t e a c h i n g p o s i t i o n s . ” T h a t c o n c l u s i o n r e s t s on t h e t r i a l c o u r t ' s p r e m i s e - - r e j e c t e d s q u a r e l y by t h i s G o u r t - - t h a t w h i t e t e a c h e r s had been d i s c r i m i n a t e d a g a i n s t b e c a u s e t t ie y w ere n o t h i r e d , p ro m o te d o r p a i d on r h e b a s i s o f i n t e l l i g e n c e . S e e 387 F . 2 d a t 4 d l .2 . T h i s C o u r t ’ s i n s t r u c t i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e a s s e s s m e n t o f c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n e r s was c l e a r and s p e c i f i c . The d i s t r i c t c o u r t was d i r e c t e d t o a c c e p t b i l l s o f c o s t s a t t r i b u t a b l e t o t h e e f f o r t s by t h o s e i n t e r v e n c i r s and to t a x t h o s e c o s t s a g a i n s t t h e R o b e r t s g r o u p . The d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s o r d e r f l a t l y r e f u s e d t o im p l e m e n t t h e m a n d a t e , and t h i s C o u r t s h o u l d now t a k e a o n r o p r i e t e c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n . S e e U n i t e d S t a t e s v . Wa r d , 3^9 F . 2 d 7 9 5 , 805 ( C . A . 5 , 1 9 6 5 ) ; U n i t e d S t a t e s v . L y n d , 5 - 3k9 F . 2 d 7 8 5, 790 ( C . A . 5 , 1 9 5 5 ) .CONCLUSION F o r t h e f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s , i t i s r e s p e c t f u l l y s u b m i t t e d t h a t t h i s C o u r t s h o u l d r e v e r s e t h e o r d e r o f t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t and e n t e r an o r d e r a s s e s s i n g t h e c o s t s i n c u r r e d by a l l p a r t i e s i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e i n t e r v e n o r s a g a i n s t t h e R o b e r t s i n t e r v e n e r s STEPHEN J . POLIAKA s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l DON^iLD H. FRi^*SERU ru.t ed S t a t e s A t t o r n e y NATHAN LEwIN KENNETH L . JOHNSON FLETCHER FaRRINSTOH A t t o r n e y sD e p a r t m e n t o f J u s t i c e W a s h i n g t o n , D. G . 20530 C E R T I F IC A T E OF SERVIC]; I h e r e b y c e r t i f y t h a t a c o p y o f th e B r i e f i nt h i s c a s e h a s b e en s e r v e d by o f f i c i a l U n i t e d S t a t e sm a i l i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e r u l e s o f t h i s C o u r t tot h e a t t o r n e y s f o r t h e p a r t i e s a d d r e s s e d a s f o l l o w s :Mr., . B a s i l M o r r i s f : i ' A t t o r n e y a t Law .’'-■■'-I P o r . t O f f i c e Box 396S a v a n n a h , G e o r g i aM r . E . H. G a d s d e n A t t o r n e y a t Law ^58 1/2 V/est B r o a d S t r e e t S a v a n n a h , G e o r g i aM r . C h a r l e s S t e p h e n R a l s t o n A t t o r n e y a t Law10 Colu m b u s C i r c l eNow Y o r k , New Y o r kM r. J . W a l t e r Cov/art A t t o r n e y a t Lav;50 !̂ A m e r i c a n B u i l d i n g S a v a n n a h , G e o r g i aR . C a r t e r P i t t m a n A t t o r n e y a t LaŵC r a w f o r d & S e l v i d g e S t r e e t s P o s t O f f i c e Box 398 D a l t o n , G e o r g i aD a t e d : J u l y 2 - , 1 9 6 8 . FLETCHER F/vRRINGTON A t t o r n e yD e p a r t m e n t o f J u s t i c e W a s h i n g t o n , D. C . 20530 APPENlJiX A( F i l e d D ecem b er 2 8 , 1967) IN THE UNITED STATES D I S T R I C T COJRT FOR TILE SOUTHERN D I S I I U C T OF GEORGIA SAVANNAH D I V I S I O N RALPH S T E L L , A M i n o r , by L . S . S T E L L , h i s f a t h e r and n e x t f r i e n d , e t a l . , and UNITED s t a t e s OF AHERiaA. ,A p p e l l a n t s ,V s .BOARD OF P U B L IC EDUCATION FOR THE C IT Y OF SAVANNAH AND THE COUNTY OF CHATHAM,ET A L . , A p p e l l e e s -k k k k k kBOARD OF P U B L IC EDUCATION FOR THE C I T Y OF SAVANNAH ALID THE COUNTY OF aiA T LA M ,A p p e l l a n t , RALPH S T E L L , a M i n o r , by L . S . S T E L L , J P . . , h i s f a t h e r and n e x t f r i e n d , e t a l . , and UNITED STATES OF AM ERIC A,A p p e l l e e s ))))))))))) N;)))) C I V I L ACTION NO. 1316 O R D E R ( A - 1 ) The. ju d g m e n t o f t h i s C o u r t i n t h e a b o v e s t a t e d c a s e h a v i n g b e en a p p e a l e d t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A p p e a l s f o r t h e F i f t h C i r c u i t , and t h a t C o u r t h a v i n g r e v e r s e d t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h i s C o u r t and remanded s a i d c a u s e f o r P r o c e e d i n g s n o t i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e o p i n i o n o f t h a t C o u r t , i t i s h e r e b yORDERED t h a t t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A p p e a l s f o r t h e F i f t h C i r c u i t b e , and t h e same i s , h e r e b y made t h e ju d g m e n t o f t h i s C o u r t .I T I S FURTHER ORDERED t h a t th e C l e e k s e r v e c o p i e s o f t h i s j u d g m e n t on a l l c o u n s e l o f r e c o r d .H e r e t o f o r e I h a v e n o t aw ard ed c o s t s a g a f n s t a n y o n e . I f I am now a u t h o r i z e d and d i r e c t e d by o r d e r o f t h e C i r c u i t C o u r t t o award c o s t s a g a i n s t p a r t i e s on t h e b a s i s o f t h e i r c o n d u c t , t h e n , p u r s u a n t to S e c . 2 0 0 0 c - 7 o f T i t l e m , o f U . S . Code A m i o t a t e d , and f o r bad f a i t h i n c o n d o n i n g d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t w h i t e a p p l i c a n t s f o r t e a c h i n g p o s i t i o n s i n S a v a n n a h - C h a t h a m C o u n t y on t h e b a s i s o f t h e i r c o l o r , a l l c o u r t c o s t s i n c u r r e d s i n c e t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s became a p a r t y a r e h e r e b y awarde d a g a i n s t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . ( A - 2) U n d e r no c o n d i t i o n s h a l l t h e p r o c e s s e s o f t h i s C o u r t be u s e d t o a s s e s s o r c o l l e c t c o s t s frora any p a r t y u n d e r t h e u n f o u n d e d a s s u m p t i o n t h a t i t o r t h e y i n d u c e d t h i s coo\rt t o r e p e a t e d l y do w ro n g s i n t h i s c a s e . I t i s so ORDERED.T h i s 2 7 t h d a y o f D e c e m b e r , 1 9 6 7 . / s / F . M. S c a r l e t tF . M. S c a r l e t tUtJITED STATES D I S T R I C T JUDGE ( A - 3 )