Letter from Blacksher to Samford RE: Single-Member District Plan Approval
Correspondence
February 12, 1986

2 pages
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Case Files, Dillard v. Crenshaw County Hardbacks. Letter from Blacksher to Samford RE: Single-Member District Plan Approval, 1986. 89b058a5-b9d8-ef11-a730-7c1e5218a39c. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/43235211-7d94-47aa-b8ec-828280168200/letter-from-blacksher-to-samford-re-single-member-district-plan-approval. Accessed April 06, 2025.
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» BLACKSHER, MENEFEE & STEIN, P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAw 405 VAN ANTWERP BUILDING P. 0. BOX 1051 MOBILE, ALABAMA 36633-1051 JAMES U. BLACKSHER TELEPHONE a ir o LARRY T. MENEFEE February ih 1986 (205) 433-2000 GREGORY B. STEIN WANDA J. COCHRAN 7 ; H / J inl Yetta G. Samford, Jr., Esq. 2-12 Samford, Denson, Horsley, Pettey, Martin & Barrett P. 0. Box 2345 Opelika, Alabama 36801 Re: Lee County Commission Election System Dear Mr. Samford: This letter is a follow-up to our phone conversation last week. Today, Jerome Gray told me by telephone that as a result of a joint meeting between the Lee County Commission and the Auburn City Council last Monday, two of the members of your local legislative delegation are unwilling to approve the single-member district election plan previously voted on favorably by the county commission. It appears, therefore, that we reached the impasse that I was concerned about when we spoke last week. Since time is of the essence, with qualifying deadlines approaching, I have advised Mr. Gray that we should wait no longer than next week to apply for relief in federal court, if we hope to get district elections by 1986. At the same time, we are genuinely interested in minimizing unnecessary expense for the county commission and the citizens of Lee County. Accordingly, 1 propose that, at the same time that we file papers seeking to add Lee County to the eight-county v. Crenshaw County, Alabama, we attach a proposed settlement agreement between the plaintiffs and Lee County specifying the single-member district plan approved by the county commission and agreeing that elections should be held in 1986. We could then ask the Court to enter a preliminary injunction requiring the agreed upon plan to be implemented in the 1986 elections pursuant to a temporary court order, pending final action by the Alabama Legislature. Yetta G. Samford, Jr., Esq. February 5, 1986 Page Two Please let me know no later than next Wednesday, February 12, 1936, if this proposal is acceptable to vour clients. If it 1s, we could work out the details of the court proceedings over the telephone, or 1 would be glad to discuss them with you earlier. For your information, I am attaching to this letter copies of the motion for preliminary injunction and supporting brief that we are filing today in the Dillard v. Crenshaw County case. It will familiarize you with the legal claims that we are pro- ceeding under and the procedural plan we are pursuing. Best regards. Sincerely, | FLACRSIER. JENEVES 2 P.A. vn (laches i James U. Blacksher JUB:pfm -Encls. cc: Mr. Jerome Gray (w/encl.) Dr. Joe L. Reed (w/encl.) Edward Still, Esq. Deborah Fins, Esq.