Correspondence from Rodney to Counsel; Report of Silas Lee, III

Letter to J. Rich Leonard from Robert N. Hunter, Jr. preview

Document text

The following text has been generated automatically during the document scanning process. It may contain errors, omissions, or incorrect formatting. Please refer to the PDF document if this text is not usable.

Download

By downloading, publishing, or reusing the Materials outside of the Website, you hereby confirm and attest that you have read and agree to the LDF Archival Collection Terms of Use linked below. We draw your attention to the following:

For those Materials owned by LDF, your use of the Material outside the Site is solely for one or more of the following (the “Permitted Purposes”):

Non-commercial research and private study;
Teaching, scholarship and instruction (including distance learning);
Non-commercial print and non-commercial online use;
Criticism, comment or news reporting; or
For people with visual disabilities (See Section 121 of the Copyright Act).
For those Materials not owned by LDF you understand that:
- It is your responsibility to determine whether the way you plan to use the materials falls within the copyright exception of Fair Use.
- For any use outside of Fair Use, it is your responsibility to seek and obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders.

LDF hereby grants you the right to use LDF owned Materials for the Permitted Purposes without seeking further permission from LDF.

If you publish or redistribute any Materials (including excerpts and quotes), you must include a credit line and/or proper citation to the source of the Material. However, you may not use the name of LDF in any manner which creates any false association between you and LDF or that incorrectly implies any sponsorship or endorsement of you by LDF.

NOTICE: Uses that do not comply with these Terms or that do not fall under Fair Use (or another exception) may make you liable for copyright infringement.

Read the full LDF Archival Collection Terms of Use Here.

I agree to the terms and conditions for use of this content.

If you would like to use this content in other ways, contact us at

LDF Attorneys
Cooperating Attorney
- Leslie J. Winner
Organization
- NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund, Inc.
Matter
- Gingles
Case
- Thornburg v. Gingles
U.S. state
- North Carolina
Collection
- Case Files
Taxonomy
Identifier
- 2ec40a45-d492-ee11-be37-00224827e97b

Cite this item

Case Files, Chisom Hardbacks. Correspondence from Rodney to Counsel; Report of Silas Lee, III, 1988. 7fff7f3e-f211-ef11-9f8a-6045bddc4804. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/ba3927fb-2f0a-4a21-b8d0-948db5367b52/correspondence-from-rodney-to-counsel-report-of-silas-lee-iii. Accessed April 06, 2025.

Copied!

    • 
M CGLINCHEY, STAFFORD, M INTZ, CELLINI 8e LANG, PC 

GRAHAM STAFFORD (1940-19871 

OERMOT S. McGLINCHEY ... 
SAMUEL LANG 
DONALD R. MINTZ... 
DANDO B. CELLINI... 
0. ANDREW LANG 
COLVIN G. NORWOOD, JR.... 
DAVID S. wiLLENzikm 
FRANK VOELKER, JR. 
FREDERICK R. CAMPBELL ... 
B. FRANKLIN MARTIN, 111.1. 
E. FREDRICK PREIS, JR. 
HENRI WOLEIRETTE. 111 111 
LEOPOLD Z. SHER., 
WILLIAM V. DALFERES. 
MICHAEL J. MAGINNIS.. 
MICHAEL T. PULASKI... 
PETER L. HILBERT, JR... 
CONSTANCE CHARLES WILLEMS 
ERNEST P. GIEGER, JR... 
PAUL N. 
MICHAEL R. SISTRuNK... 
THOMAS P. ANZELMO... 
STEVEN I. KLEIN.... 
SANDRA MILLS FEiNGERTS ... 
BENNET S. KOREN 
RALPH J. ZATZKIS 
JAMES M. FANTACI 
KENNETH M. LABORDE 
MAUREEN O'CONNOR SULLIVAN 
SUSAN wHiTTiNGTON LEIONER... 
KATHLEEN A. MANNING 
J. FORREST HINTON 

KENNETH A. WEISS... 
JOHN GREGORY 000M 
JAMES 0. MORGAN 
MICHAEL S. MITCHELL 
ELwo0o F. CAHILL, JR. 
MICHAEL S. GUILLORY 
LANCE S. OSTENDORF 
DONNA GUINN KLEIN 
JAMES C. CRIGLER, 
SIDNEY J. HARDY 
MICHAEL M. NOONAN 
RICHARD P. RICHTER 
DAVID ISRAEL 
MARIE A. MOORE 
VICTORIA KNIGHT McHENRY 

RUOY J. CERONE 
CRAIG L. CAESAR ... 
DEBRA FISCHmAN COTTRELL 
ANTHONY ROLLO 
EVE B. HAsINTER 
TIMOTHY P. HURLEY 
GENE w. LAFITTE, JR. 
STEPHEN W. RIDER 
ROY J. ROONEY, JR. 
ERIC SHUMAN 
ARTHUR H. LEITH 
DAVID L. BARNETT 
STEPHEN P. BEISER 
LAURA HoBSON BROWN 
STEPHANIE N. LAWRENCE 
LISA HILEY GEARY 
CHRISTOPHER J. AUBERT 
KATHLEEN K. CHARVET 
PATRICIA A. CARTEAUX 

RICHARD B. EHRET 

MARK M. GLOvEN 
MAUREEN L. HOGEL 
ALEXANDER N. MciNTYRE, JR. 
RICHARD N. MOYED 
LAUREN A. WELCH 
SHARON L. GROSS 
THOMAS P. McALISTER 
TRUDY RODNEY BENNETTE 

SUSAN T. BROUSSARO 
CYNTHIA M. CANADA 
ROBERT W. MAXWELL 
FABIO MASSiM0 FAGGI 
PATRICIA L. mANSON 
CHRISTOPHER C. JOHNSTON 
DAVID P. BUEHLER 
MICHAEL J. oc BLANC, JR. 
BROOKE OUNCAN III 
KEITH W. McOANIEL 
CHARLOTTE G. BOROENAVE 
GERARO J. SONNiER 
ELISE M. BEAUCHAmP 
N. VICTORIA HOLLADAY 
ANITA T. LECHNER 
LAWRENCE B. MANDALA 
SHARON 0. SMITH 
ROY C. BEARD 
JOE GIARRuSSO, JR. 
SANDRA K. ELZERMAN .  
KENNETH E. LAuTER .  
BENJAMIN F. MARSHALL, IV 
ROBERT J. KILLEEN, JR. 

M LAW CORPORATION t.'130ARD CERTIFIED TAX ATTORNEY .NOT ADMITTED IN LOUISIANA 

November 2, 1988 

All Counsel 

Re: Ronald Chisom, et al V. 
Edwin Edwards, et al 
United States Court of Appeals 
for the Fifth Circuit 
No. 87-3463 
Our Ref.: 9931-54-7 

Dear Counsel: 

643 MAGAZINE STREET 

NEW ORLEANS, LA. 70130-3477 

- MAILING ADDRESS: 

POST OFFICE BOX 60643 
NEW ORLEANS, LA. 70160-0643 

(504) 586-1200 

FAX 

(504) 596-2800 

TLX 

584327 

CABLE 

MACSTAM 

LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA. OFFICE: 

405 MORGAN STREET 
LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA. 71234 

(318) 559-1200 
FAX (318) 559-0609 

WRITER'S DIRECT DIAL NUMBER: 

Enclosed is a copy of Silas Lee, III's report in the 

captioned matter. 

Cor 1 y 

Roy Rodney, Jr. 

RJR,Jr./nm 
Enclosure ' 



• d, • 
SILAS LEE, III 

New Orleans, LA 

November 2, 1988 

Mr. Roy J. Rodney, Jr. 
MtGlinchey, Stafford, Mintz, 

Cellini & Lang, PC 
643 Magazine Street 
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 

Re: Expert Report 

Dear Mr. Rodney: 

The following paragraphs contain a statement of my 
qualifications and expert opinion in this case. 

VITA AND QUALIFICATIONS  

I am President of Silas Lee and Associates a public 
opinion, research and consulting company in New Orleans, 
Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia. Silas Lee and Associates are 
consultants to numerous businesses, retail and fast food corpora-
tions, government agencies, broadcasting stations, newspapers, 
politicians, and banks. The company also publishes numerous 
studies, polls and commentaries yearly that have appeared in The 
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), USA Today, The Louisiana 
Weekly, The Nevada Journal, U. S. News and World Report, Ebony 
Magazine, CBS Evening News and a host of other publications, 
television and radio stations. I also serve as host of a daily 
vignette titled $200 Billion Dollars in the Black, broadcast on 
'radio ,station WYLD in New Orleans, LA, WSAI in Savannah, GA., 
WIZF in Cincinnati, OH and KATZ in St. Louis, MO. 

I am also a sociology instructor for the Loyola 
University Upward Bound Program-New Orleans, LA a member of the 
National Business League (Richmond, VA and New Orleans, LA), the 
National Association of Political Consultants and a court 
certified expert on the social and economic status of blacks in 
America and public opinion research (United States District 
Court--Eastern District of Louisiana). 



• 
Mr. Roy J. Rodney, Jr. 
November 2, 1988 
Page -2-

I received Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/ 
Sociology from Loyola University in New Orleans, a Master of 
Science in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans. 

OPINION 

Judicial races are expensive traditionally and have low 
visibility and low voter interest. Although blacks have run 
successfully in judicial elections in New Orleans, they continue 
to encounter financial restraints and low voter interest. A 
successful judicial campaign in New Orleans may cost more than 
$100,000.00 and since most black candidates for judgeship lack 
the financial resources to underwrite their own campaign, fund 
raising often becomes an insurmountable obstacle. Also, due to 
the fact that judicial generally fades receive low media coverage 
as compared to executive branch races, black candidates with low 
name recognition have to spend more money for advertising and 
organization than in other races. 

Considering Louisiana Supreme Court election as an 
example, a potential black candidate will be faced with the 
racially skewed voter registration statistics for Metropolitan 
New Orleans, the need for an estimated campaign budget well in 
excess of $100,000.00. The current at-large system of electing 
Louisiana Supreme Court judges dilutes and minimizes the oppor-
tunities for blacks to be elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court. 
The statistics below clearly show that as we move outside of the 
city of New Orleans, black voter strength is diluted. The rate 
of black voter participation decreases from 52% in Orleans Parish 
to 12% in Jefferson, 9% in St. Tammany and 4% in St. Bernard, 
thus handicapping the possibility for a black candidate to run 
successfully in the present district. 

VOTER REGISTRATION BREAKDOWN 

March 31, 1987 

TOTAL WHITE BLACK 

Orleans 251,359 118,232 131,726 
Jefferson 199,534 174,742 23,825 
St. Tammany 69,965 63,197 23,825 
St. Bernard 40,086 38,508 1,577 
Plaquemines 15,198 11,376 2,825 

Source: Louisiana Elections Commissioner 



• 
Mr. Roy J. Rodney, Jr. 
November 2, 1988 
Page -3-

From a historical perspective, the voting patterns of 
Metropolitan New Orleans voters have not changed significantly 
over the years. Their voting patterns remain skewed along racial 
lines, thus preventing the election of a black candidate in a 
multiparish district to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Under the 
current districting plan, black candidates will continue to 
either not run or be unsuccessful because political resources are 
significantly diluted outside of Orleans Parish proper. 

Very truly yours, 

Silas Lee, III 

SL/nm

Copyright notice

This collection and the tools to navigate it (the “Collection”) are available to the public for general educational and research purposes, as well as to preserve and contextualize the history of the content and materials it contains (the “Materials”). Like other archival collections, such as those found in libraries, LDF owns the physical source Materials that have been digitized for the Collection; however, LDF does not own the underlying copyright or other rights in all items and there are limits on how you can use the Materials. By accessing and using the Material, you acknowledge your agreement to the Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Materials.

Additional info

To the extent that LDF includes information about the Materials’ origins or ownership or provides summaries or transcripts of original source Materials, LDF does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of such information, transcripts or summaries, and shall not be responsible for any inaccuracies.

Letter to J. Rich Leonard from Robert N. Hunter, Jr.

LDF Attorneys

Cooperating Attorney

Organization

Matter

Case

U.S. state

Collection

Taxonomy

Identifier

Cite this item

Copyright notice

Additional info

You may also be interested in