Motion to Stay Proceedings; Resolution 80/House Joint Resolution 1427

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FILED
IN rHR UNITED srArES DIsrRIcr couRr ACT 21 lgf Bl

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTII CAROLTNA V I 't

RATEIGH DMSION J. tilaH L[-(".:r,t,L. rilti?i(
Lr. ' Dl:) iiiiCT r.i)Uill

a.r:\ " r'

crvrl No. 81-803-c'rv-5 'J !':\'

RALPH GINGLES, €t 41.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

RUPUS L. EDMISTEN, etc., et a1.,

T{OTTON TO STAY
ffi

Defendants.

The defendants in the above-entitled action move the Court

to stay all proceedings in the action and to extend the time

within which defendants need file answer to the Complaint in

the action untj-I such time as the General Assembly reconvenes

and redraws its apportionment plans for the North Carolina House

of Representatives and Senate and until such tj-me as the Attorney

General of the United Statesr pursuant to the Voting Rights Act

of 1965, 55, 42 U.S.C. S1973c, has apProved or objected to North

Carolina's apportionment plans for the State Flouse of Representa-

tives and State Senate and Congressr EIS well as Artlcle II, SS3(3)

and 5(3) of the Constitution of North Carolina'

As g:ounds therefor, defendants cite the affidavit of Alex K.

Brock, Secretary-Director of the State Board of Elections, filed

with defendants' Suggestion of Mootness and l'lotion to Dismiss on

October '7, 1981, and the eertified copy of Resolution 80 of the

1981 Session of the. General Assembly (House Joint Resolution

No. L4Z7) attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference'

In view of the statutory and judicial preference for deferring

consideration of constitutional questions in reapportionment litigation

until preclearance has been obtained from the Attorney General of
t

the United States under 55 of the Voting Rights Act, and in the t

interest of judicial economy, considering the announced intention

of the North Carolina General Assembly to redraw tr+o of the

challenged apportionment plans, the defendants submit to the



-2-

Court that a stay of a1l proceedings shoultl issue. Should the

action be held in abeyance, defendants are amenable to continuing

with any discovery appropriate under the circumstances. In

addition to the matters cited abover this Motion is based on the

accompanying Memorandum of Law and all pleadings, papers, and

records in this action.

Respectfully submitted, this tne 2l day of october, 1981'

RUFUS L. EDM]STEN
ATTORNEY GENERAL

Deputf

,,/trt{,,/c. Attorney General's of fice
P-ost office Box 629
Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
Telephone: (919) 733-3377

Tiare B. Smiley
Norma Harrell
Assistant Attorneys General

James; WaJ-Iace , Jr.
Deputly Attorney Genera
,,fyt Legal Affairs



STATE OF NOR,TI{ CAFLOLINA
Departrnent of The Secretar5r of Stcrte

I, THAD EURE, Seeretary of State of the State of
North Carolina, do hereby certify the following and hereto
attached

true copy of

TWO

RESOI.,UTTON 80

( z ) sheets to be a

, 1%r Sessions Laws

entitled

A .roINT RESOLUTION PROVTDING FoR THE GENERAL AssEMBLy To
MEET TO CONSTDER REAPPORTIONMENT.

ratified on the roth day of

The Genera.l Assernbly

the original of which is now on

in this office.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I
and affixed my official seal.

october ,19ar ,by

of North Carolina

file and a matter of record

have hereunto set my hand

DONE IN

the 2oth day of

OFFICE at Raleigh, this

o

Secretary



EESOLUTIOX 80

HOUSB {IOINI EESOIUIIOX 1427

A 
'IOIXT 

EESOLUIIOX PEOVIDING TO8 TH8 GEXEEAL ASSEUBI.I 10 UE88 10

COISIDEE BEAPIOBTIOXUEII. ,

8e it resolvecl by tbe Bouse of Eepr€seatatives, tbe Seoate

coacurring:

sectioa 1. Besolutioa 66,. session lars of 19g1r is
aneaded by Eesolution 1. Sessioa tars Ertra Sessioa of 1991, is
fuEtber aleaded by adtliog the folloring aer sectioas:

Itsec. 1.1. rhea the Eouse aad seaate adJourl oa saturday,
october 10, 19811 they staad aclJourned to recooyeae at DooD oa

rhursday, october 29,. 1981, for a Bedistrictiug sessioa. Duriag
the Betlistrictiog Sessior, oaly a bil,l to apportioo tb€ districts
of tbe Xorth Caroliaa Bouse of gepr€seDtatives t a bill to
apportioa the districts of tbe f,orth Caroliaa Seaate, and a Joiat
resolutioD to provide for the adJourareat of the Geaeral lsseobly
uatil iruDe 2, 1982, shall be ir order. ro joiat resolutioas to
allor otber &easures to be coasidered shalJ' be ia orcler <luriug

the Bedistrj.cting Sessioa.

Sec. 7.2. tbe House Connittee on tegislative Eedistri.ctiag aad

the Seaate Conoittee oa Eetlistrictiog-Seaate shall each neet aot
later thaa lledaesday, october 27, 19s1, at a tine to be set by

the chairraa of each connittee, to coasider bilJ.s reclistricting
tbeir respective bouse of tbe Geoeral assenbly. rbe Eouse

Corrittee oa Legielative Eertistrictiag aatl the Scnate Cornittee

l
t

ij
a a



oD Eeilistrictiag-SeDate, shal.l eacb E€porit favorably a bi.]'1' as

aneuded oE a contittee substi.tut€ rhichr cs aearly as Day be,

apportiols the necbeEa of their house so as to represeat aa egual

auober of ishabitants ia accordaDce ritb lrticle II of the

Coastitutioo of Uorth Caroliua, Sectioas 3(1) aacl 5(1). Sucb

bill as aneltl€al or connittee substitute sbal'l bc .TU, to be

reported rbea the Geaeral Assesbly recoav€D€a oD Sbursday,

October 29, 1981.n

Sec. 2. Section 2 of Besolutioa 65, Session Lars of

1981, is aleailed by tleletiag the rords [Fall 1981 SessioDrr, aud

iasertiag in lieu thereof the rortls trBedistricting Sessioan.

sec. 3,. fhis resolutioa is effective uPo! ratificatioo.

Io the Geoeral Asseubly read three tines aatl ratified,

tbis th€ 10th daY of October, 1981.

Janes C. Green

Liston B. BanseY

SpeaEer of tbe Bouse of Eepresentatives

Eouse iloiut Eesolutioa 1t1272

!
I

I

Dresident of the Senate