Burton v. Hobbie Complaint

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I N THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

M I DDLE DI STR ICT OF ALARAI4A

NORTHERN DIVISTON

}II LL I AM L . BURTON , PE RCY D.
BELL, ABRA}IAM LINCOL}.I I.lOODS, .JR.
BOBBY JCl JOHNSON, ANDREIJ
HAYDEN, FELIX NIXON, EURALEEA. HAYNES, individuall.y and on
behal f of al I other persons
slmi I arl y si tuoted,

Plaintiffs,
v.

WALKER H0BBIE, JR., i n his
gff!cial capacity as Judge of
Probate of l.,lontgomery County
and as a representati ve of tneclass of al I judges of probate
i n the Sta te of Al abama; DON
SLEGEL!'lAi,l , in his officia'l
capacit-v as Secretary of Stateof Al abama,

Def endants.

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Sections 1331, 1343(3) and 1343(4). Ttre arnorlnt in
controversy exceeds $10,000.00 exclusive or interest and

28 U.S.C

costs. Thi s

Constitution

and the

of the

COMPL A I NT

Jurisdiction

is invoked ptrrsuant t.o
1. Jurisdiction of this Court

is a suit in equity arisin,; out of the

of t.he UniEed States, the thirteelrttr, forrrteenth

a'l so invoked prtrstrant

rights of plaintiffs

and f ifteenth amenrlrnents, ;lnd l? u.s.c. section 1qg3.
?. Jurfsdiction of this Court is

to 42 U.S.C. S1973j( f), to enforce tho

c'l ass they ;eek to reDresent protecto,{ b.y Section ?

Voting Rights Act of 1965, flS .rnenrled, 42- U.S.C.



s1973.

to 28

court

f i'l ed

of any

under

3. Juri sdict'i on of thi s Court i s al so invoked oursuant

U.S.C. Sec. 2284(a), which requires t.hat a district.

of three j udqes sha'l I be convened vthen an acti on i s

chal I engi ng t.he const j tuti ona'l 'i ty of the aDDorti onment

statewide legislative hodY.

4. This is also an action for declaratory irrdqment

the provisions of 28 U.S.C. Sections ?-2Ol and ??.O?..

Class Action

5. P1 ai nti f f s bri nq thi s action on thei r o\'rn behal f

and on behal f of all other persons similar'l y situat.ed,

pursuant to Rul es 23(a) and 23(b) (2), Federal Ru'l es of Civil

Procedure. The cl ass whi ch pl ai nti ffs seek to represent i s

composed of all bl ack citi zens of the State ef Al abama. Al 1

such persons have been, are being, and will be affect-efl

adversely by the leqislative reaDportionment act. iornp'l aine.l

of herei n. The c'l ass consti tutes i denti f i abl e raci a1 ,

cultural and ethnic minorit.y in the state who have strffpred

and are suffering invidjous discrininar.ion on accottnt of the

'l egi sl ati ve reapporti onment act comfr'l ai ned of herei n. There

are common qgestions of law and fact affectinq the riqhts of

the members of thi s c1aSs, who are and wlto conti ntle to be

depri ved of the equal protec ti on of t.he I aws and who are

deni ed ful I and effec ti ve equal i ty of voti nq ri qhts because

of the l egi sl at'i ve reapporti onment ac+. comn'l ai ned of herei n.

These persons are so numerous that joinder of a'l 1 memhers is

impracti cabl e. There are questions of 'l aw and f act common t.o

Pl ai nti f f s and the cl ass the-y seek to reDresent. The

interests of sai d cl ass are fai r'l y and adequately reoresented

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by the named plaint.iffs. The Defendants have actecl or
refused to act or will act or will refuse to act on grounds
general l y appl icabl e to the c'l ass, therehy maki nq aDDronriate
final injunctive rel ief anrj corresnonrling declaratory re.!ief
with respect to the class as a whole.

Plaintiffs

6. Plaintiffs l,lilliam L. Burton, perc.y D. BeIt,
Abraham Li nco'l n woods, Jr., Bobby Jo Johnson, Andriew Ha.yrren,

FeIix Nixon, and Euralee A. .Ha.yes are black citizens anrj

registered voters of the State of Alabama, over the aqe of
eighteen years. plaintfff t.lilliam L. Burton resirtes in
Montgomer.y county, Alabama; plaintiff percy D. Bell resides
in'Lowndes County, Alahapta; plaintiff Abraham Lincoln Woods,

Jr. resides in Jefferson county, Al abama; plaintiff Robby

Jo Johnson resides in I.lircox count.y, Alaharna; plaintiff
Andrew Hayden resides in perr.y County, Ataha.qa; .b.l aintiff
Felix Nixon resides in Sumter Count.y, A1 abarna; and ptaintiff
Eural ee A. Hayes resf des in Lowndes County, Al abarna.

Defendants

7. Defendant Don Sieqe'l man is tqe rluly elected
secretary of stat.e of the sr.ate of Al abama. He is sued in
his official capacfty. As secretar.y of State, Defenrrant
Siege'lman is responsible by larv for certif.yina to the probate
judqes of the various cornties, in both primary and generar

elections, the names of all canrtidates qr.ralifyinq for
election to positions in the A'l abama Legi s.! ature ancl has



various other dutfes in the conduct of primary anrJ qenera.t

elections f or the Legi sl ature. A'l a. corte sections 17-s_1,
17-16-11, 17-16-40.

B. Defendant walker Hohbie, ,JF., is the dul.y elected
Judge of Probate for l'lontqomery corrnt.y, Alabaina. He is suert

in his official caDacit.y and as a reDresentative of the class
of all .judges of prohate in the State of Alabar,na. As Jrrdge

of Probate, Def endant Hobbie is resDonsib'l e by I aw for
publishinq a notice of the boundaries of the e'l ection
districts for seats in the A'l abarna Leqi sl ature, ,7,
furnishinq lists of qual ified voters to the various noll inq
pl aces, f or causi nq to be pri ntert and di stri buterl the bal I ots
contai ni ng the names of candidates for seats i n the

Legi sl ature and f or carryi nq out various other rlrrr.ies in the

cAnduct of both orimary and qeneral elections for Dositions
in the Al abama Legi sl ature. Al a. Corle Sections 17_S_10,

17 -7-1, 17-16-11, 17 -15-2?.

A'l legations of Fact'

9. Act No.B1-1C49 of the Special Session of the Al abama

Legi s'l ature of 1981 provides f or the reaDport.ionment of the

two houses of the Al abama Leqi sl ature basert upon the .l qBn

census. The reapportionment plan for both houses of the

Legis'l ature substantially dilute the votinq strenqth of some

Pl ai nti f f s and some members of r.he pl ai nti f f cl ass on the
basis of population within their qeoqraphic rlistricts, and

said p] ans substantiall.y dilute or mjniqize the votinq
strength of all Plaintiffs and memhers of the plaintiff class
on the basis of their race.

10. The sta te of Al abama ha s not marJe an honest anrr

Li"''i' "- ; '':" l:.'''-- ""':: j:':''^':"'!



good fa i th effort to const.ruct di stricts in both houses of
i ts Legi sl ature as nearl y of equal porrul at.ion as i s

practicable.

11. There are impermi ssibi y I arqe variances from
popul ati on equal i ty amone the reapportioned di stricts in both
houses of the Legislature which are not based on and which
cannot be j usti f i ed by 1 egi tima te, rati onal state Dol r.cies.

12 - Those I eqi s'r ators who dra f terr and votert f or
passage of Act No.81-1049 did not make a goorl faith effort to
comply with the reapportionment policies of the A'r.,abama

constitution, which place priority on consf derations of
preserving the inteority of count.y boundaries anrt maximjzinq,
consi stent wi th the goal of Dopul ation equal ity, the
contiguity and comDactness of the leqislative district.s.

. 13. In addf tion, t.he apportionment. nl ans nrovidert by

Act No-81-1049 have both the purpose anrt effect of rtilrrtinq or
minimizinq the vot.inq strength of black citizens of Alabama

anrl of mj nimizinq the nurnber of O,o.k memIers of the A]ahama

Legi sl ature.

14. In particul ar, sairl reapportionment pl ans spt it or
divide black votinq majorities in the so_ca.l lerl Rlack Belt
counties of Alabama, including Lovrndes, Vlilcox, perry, Ha1e,

Sumter ancl Greene counties, concentrate or stack the bl ack

voters of Jefferson county, and create srrbstantia'r Dopulation
under- representation in the majorfty black leqislative
di stri cts i n Montgomery count.y. These anrr other raci al
gerryma nderi ng features of sai cl reapportionment ol ans

effecti ve) y dil ute and mi nimi ze the voti nq strenqr.h of bl ack

citi zens throughout the St.ate of Al abama.

15. The invidjous racial intent to discriminate
against Pl ai nti f f s and the c'l ass they represent behi ncl the



reapportionment plans in Act No.8I-1049 is evirJencert b.y the
fol I owi ng fac ts :

a. Alabama has a ronq,and unbroken histor_v of
official actions desiqnerl to discrimfnate against black
voters in general and to dil ute thei r reoresentati on i n the

Alabama Leqislature in Darticular.
b - The i nevi tabr e and i nescapabr e impact of the

aforesaid reapportionment pI ans wil I be the systematic
minimization of black voting strength anrl bl ack

representati on i n the Legi sl ature.

c . The sequence of events I ea di nq to Da s sa cJe of Ac t
N0.81-1049, includinq the timinq anrl location of Luqislative
hearings concerning reapportionment, the fairure or refusal
of the reapportionment committee to provide publ ic not.ice of
the proposed reapportionment pl ans nrior to the very eve of
i ts enactme nt, the concerted ef f orts of whi te I eqi s'l at.ors t.o

rush the reapportionment plan thr.ough the leqislative. process

wi thout providi nq adequate time for del iheration. ina
amendments, and the exclusion of black leqis'l ators from final
del iberati ons I eadi ng to the draf ti ng of the pl an, revea.l a

clear design on the part of white official s to discriminate
against and to di sadvantaqe bl ack voters anrt bl ack

I egi sl ators.

d. For the fi rst time in the hi story of the Al abama

Leg i sl atrJ re, the dra f ters of the rea Dporti onment p'l an

abandoned the state consti tutional priorities of preservincr

t0 the maximum extent consi stent wi th Dopul.rtion equa'l ity the
integrity of county boundaries and the compactness and

contiguity of 'l egis'l ative districts.
e. The contempo raneous statenents of I eqi sl at.ors

and other official s participatinq in the rtecisionmakinq



process indicated that the primary consideration in the
drawi ng of I egi s'l ati ve di strict bounrlaries was the orotection
of white incumbent legisrators, the prevention of sit.rrations
where said white incurnbents wouJ cl he forced to rlln against
each other, and the creation of artificiai.r y row hrack voter
popu'l atfons in their respective districrs.

16. At I east as recently as 1965, the government of
the state of Ar abama anci its oo.r itical suhrrivi sions has
espoused and impl ernented a pol icy of whi te supremacy.
Pursuant to this officiar policv of racial rrfscriminatiion,
which operated continuously from the time Arahama.,beca*" a
state, brack citi zens of A'r abama were ,eniea the riqht to
register and vote in both orimary and general erections anct
were barred or discouraqed from hording pubric office,
thereby reinforcing and approvino lonqstandfnq customs anrt
be\iefs amonq white citizens of Arabama that brack persons
shoul d not particf pate in the polit.ical nrocess. Even
though the policy of white supremac.y has officiall-v endect,
the continuing effects of that rrolicy stil.l linger, in r.hat,
as was well known to the white leqislators who rlrafr.erl an,
voted for passaqe of Act No.Br-r049, votinq in erections where
blacks or whites fdentifierr with brack interests are
candidates will produce sharnly racially nolarizerl votinq.

ll . As a result of the orertictable racial.l v oola rizerl
votinq patterns in Ai abama, brack cancridates cannot
reasonably expect to succeecl , rrarticu.l ar.l y in t.he Rlack Belt
counties, without a substantia.l black voter maioritv in t-he
district.

18. The overrirlinq pol icy
p'l ans in Act No. Bf-1049, namely,
opportunit.y for white incrrmbents

behi nd the

the maximiza

to conti nrre

reapDorti onment

tion of the

in office,



necessari"ly perpetuated the racially discriminator.y effects
of Al abama's prior of f icial pol ic.y of whi te suprenacy.

19. In addition, the constrrrction of leqis'l ative
di stri cts that spl i t or overl.y concentrate b'l ack voter
majorities has the inevitabl e effect of perpetuatinq

Al abama's prior off icial po'l ic.y of white suDremac.y.

Federal Causes of Acti on

20. The mal apporti onment of 'l eqi sl ati ve di stri cts
provided by Act No.8I-1049, due to impermissibly large
popul ation variances from strict mathematical equal ity
without a legitimate or rational state justification,

vi ol ates the ri ghts of Pl ai nti ffs and the c1 as s they

re,present to a fu'l I and equally effective vote as qllaranteerl

by the Equal Protection Cl ause of the fourteenth amendrnent to

the Consti tution of the Uni ted States

?1. The enactment of a I ecii sl ati ve reaoporti onment

plan in Act No.81-l-049 with t.he purDose or. int.ent'of dilutinq
or minimizing the votinct strength of black citizens violates
the ri qhts of Pl ai nti f f s and the cl ass the.y represent to be

f ree of practi ces, procedures, customs or pol ic.i es whi ch

abridge their riqht to vote on account of race or co1or, as

guaranteed by Section ? of the Civil Riqhr.s Act of 1965, iS
amended, 42 u.s.c. s1q73, and by the thirteenth, forrrteenth
and f if teenth amendments t.o the consti tuti on of the uni terl

States.

22. The enactment of leqislative roapportionment olans
in Act No.81-1049, which have the effect of minimizinq or

dil uting the voting strength of black citizens, reqarrlless of
their purpose or intent, violates the riqhts of plainr,iffs

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and the class they respresent t.o be free of practices,

procedures, custor':s or pol icies which abridqe their riqht to

vote on account of race or co1or, as quaranteed by Section ?

of the Civil Riqhts Act of 1965, iS anended, 4? Ll.S.C.

S1973, and by the t.hi rteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth

amendments to the Consti tuti on of the Uni ted States.

23. The enactment of legislative reaDport'i onment p'l ans

in Act No.8I-1049 in a manner which perpetuates the continrrinq

ef f ects of Al abama's prior of f icial po'l ic.v of discrimj nation

against bl ack voters viol ates the riqhts of P'l aintif f s and

the cl ass they represent to be free of practi ces, Drocedures,

customs or policies which abridge their rjqht to vote on

account of race or co1or, as qlraranteed b.y Sect'ion 2 of the

Civil Rights Act of 1965, is arnended, 42 U.S.C. S1q73, and

bi the thi rteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of the

Consti tuti on of the Uni ted States.

24. P'l ai nti f f s and the cl ass the.y represent aIe

enti tl ed to a remedy for the aforeQoi nq viol ati ons of thei r

federal statutory and constitutional riqhts, Dursuant to 12

U.S.C. Sec. 1983

State Cause of Action

25. The I eqi sl ati ve reapnorti onmenL nl ans i n Act l'lo. BI-

1049 vi ol:t.e the ri qhts of P1 ai ntiffs and the c1 ass they seek

to represent to have representati ves and senators apportione.'l

among the several cotrnties of the staLe in districts as

nearly equa'l in popu'l ation as may be practicable consistent

wi th the pol icy of avoi di ng the spl i tti nq of count.ies among

leqislative districts, as provided by Sections 198, tgq and

,r,r tI+-,<&.



200 of the 190i Consti tution of Al abarna.

Prayer for Rel i ef

Plaintiffs and the class the.y seek to reDresent.have no

pl ai n, idequate or conpl ete remedy at 'l aw r.6 rerlress the

wrongs .r11eged herei n, and thi s sui t f or d p"el imi nar.y anrt

permanent in.junction is their on'ly means of securing arlequate

rel ief . Pl ainti f f s and the cl ass the.y seek to represent are

now suffering and will continue to suffer jrreDarable in.iur.y

f ro;n the un1 awf u'l and unconsti tuti ona'l reapporti onment pl an

descri bed herei n.

}lHEREF0RE, Plaintiffs respectfully pra.y t,hat this Corrrt

wi I I f o rthvi th convene a di stri ct court of three .i udqes,

pursuant to ?8 u.s.c. \2284, advance this case on i!t
docket, order a speedy hearing at the ear't iest o-ricticable
date, cause this action to be in every wa.y exDerlited, and

upon such heari nq to:

A. Certify this cause as a class action, pursuant to
Rul e 23 (b) (2 ), Federal Rul es of civil procedure, .Jefi ni nq the

Plaintiff class as all black citizens of t.he State of
A'l abama.

B. Certi f y a clef enrJa'nt c1ass, represented h.y Def enclant

Walker Hobbie, .)r., consistinq of all .iudqes of orobate of
the State of Al abama.

c. Grant Pl ai ntif f and the cl ass the.y reDresent a

decl aratory judqrnent that t.he reapporticnment p1ans provided

b.y Act No.Bl-1049, Soecial session, A'l ahama Leqis'rat-.rrr? of
1981, contolainad cf herein violate their riqhts uncler the

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thi rteenth, f ourteenth anrl f if teenth amendments to the

constitution of the united States and 4? u.s.c. Sections

1973 and 1983.

D. Grant Pl ai nt-if f s and the cr ass thev represenr.

prel imi nary and perinanent in.jrrnct.ions inioininq r.he

Defendants, their agents, successors, attornevs, anc t'hose

acting in concert with them or at their direction frorn

holding, supervising, or certifyinq the candirlates or results
of any election for the House or Senate of the Alabana

/
Legislature under the reapportionrnent plans Drovirled by the

aforesai d Act No. 81-1049.

E. Provide the Al abarna Legi sl ature a reasonahl e

opportunity, if possible, to enact a r,rir, eeuitahle anrl

racially nondiscriminatory reaDportionnrent rrJan for both

houses of the Leqi sl ature, sub.iect to t.he nrecl earance

provi si ons of the Voti ng Riqhts Act an4 the eporoval of thi s

court, so long crS such remedia-'t 'aapportionnent pl an can be

enacted i n tine to tre imp] ementert at the next regu'! arl .y

scheduleC legis'lative elections in Seotenher at'lrl November,

1982.

F. Al ternatively, i f the A'l aharra !-rqi sl at.ure fai'l s or

refuses tine'ly to remedy the unl,rwfu'l and Llnconstitrrtiona'l

corlditions compl ainec of herein, order impl ementod the

Court's ovJn reapportionment nlan for the l{ouse anc SeDrlr.e 3r

the Al abana Legi sl ature in tinre for its impl ementation in the

next requl ar'ly schedul ed leqislative olections in Soutenber

and Novenrber 193?.

G. Awa rd Pl ai nti f f s and ths c'l ass they reDresant thei r
costs in this action, inclrrdinq an award of reasonahle

attorneys' fees and exDensos, i nc1 udi ng the expenses of thei r
exoert consultants an4 witrresses.

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H. Grant such other

the Court may deen just and

and fUrther eqrritab'to relief as

Droper.

!LACKSHER, MENEFEE & STEIN, P.A.
405 Van Antwerp Ruildint
P. 0. Box 1051
Mobile, Alabama 36533

S0L0H0N SEAY /
GqAY, SEAY & LANGFORD
352 Dexter A.renue
Hontqomery, Alabama 36104

l{. Edwarrl Still
nEEVE S and SrILL
Suite 400, Comnerce Center
?.027 Flrst. Avenue, North
Birminqhen, A'l aba.rra 35203

At.torneys cor Plaintiffs

..\

x*. Jrrtnffir
LARRY T./ 

"1EN