Burton v. Hobbie Complaint
Public Court Documents
November 13, 1981

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Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Working Files - Guinier. Burton v. Hobbie Complaint, 1981. 7f712af2-dc92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/4ac8d978-d9e6-438b-adc8-9d470d8c029a/burton-v-hobbie-complaint. Accessed July 07, 2025.
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.L+- ( "/,r/sl ', ( 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. ) ,) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 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 ': .,,,;l}iii*rr 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 1 ,.-,;, .-.':.^'..i 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 10 ,';d. , ...+ ,1 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. 11 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