Memorandum and Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for the Entry of Declaratory Judgement and Injunctive Relief

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IN THE T'NTTED STATES DISTRTET @TIRT
POR TEE I,TIDDLE DISTRICT OP GBORGI,A

THOMAS1'!'.Y.E DIVISION

CM. ACIION IrO. 75-3,0-tTlOt'tTHOMASVILLE BRA}ICE OF TTIB
NAACP, €t al.,

PlaLntl.ffe

V.

rBolrAs @tliITY, GEORGIA, et
Ilefeadants

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HE|IoRAIIDUU I}ID ORDER ON PI,ATNTIFPS I

}I(yTIOrg FOR IIRE EIIIHT OP DESI^ARATORY

JUDG}TEI{![ A}ID INJIINqTIITE RSLTEF

!a !,he ca;e abve lderr0if,ie.i 'r;br: FiaintLffs have fiied a

mtlon for declaratoty Judgment rnd lor lnJrrncttrre rellef and

have flled a brlef in aupport of ttre rctlon. tlhe Defendants

have flled a brlef ln opposltlon to the rctJ.on.

In the rcBt recent declsion by ttre Court of Appeals

dealing vlttr thla case tbe natter vas remanded to ttrls Court for
a reevaluatlon of ttre queation of Lntent, the court of Appeals

detenlnlng ttrat tnrt uas txe only re'rrlnlng lgsue ia the caae

rtich had to be deteralned ln favor of tlre Platntiffg to enable

the Plalatlffe to prevall. Borever, tJrc C-ngress has nfr arended

tbc Votlagr Blghte Act of 1965 laclu&lng e rpeclfls rrnesdgrent to
Sactlon 2 of tbat Ast, a2 U.S.C. 51973, detcmJ.nlng ttrat lntent
ls Do longer rcgrrlred to be proved, ln a caae of thia aort. rn

l1ght of thle areadreat to ttre Votlng Rl'ghtg Act and tlre prevlous

JAN 2 61983

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fln6lnga of thia Court rhich bave been afflrmed by ttre Court of

Appeals, lt ls ngul clear that tlre Plalntlf fs are ent,ld,lea to

prevall on ttrelr challenge to the at-larqre Danner of electing

County CorEdssloners ln Itrouras @unty. It lollore that the

Plalntlffs are entitled to the rellef sought.

Consietent s1tlr the foregolng, thi not1on of the

plalntllfs tor ttre entrfr of a declaratorT Jud,gment la granted an<1

the Court hereby dete:cmlnea that the ctrrrent method of electlng

@unty Colo,legloners ln lhonae County ls contaary to federal lau

aa now establLghed. ttrla neana tlrat a ner d:lgtrlct electlon plan

utlllzing no at-latge seata uust be adopted and, a epecial electLon

rqrst be coaducted at anr early date.

It only saprtng to be deterulned hor thls change ls to be

brought about. lthe Plalntiffs ask that the Court devlse a new

election plan and Ln the meantlrc enJoin tlre recently elected

thouas County Coloiaslonera from performLng the functlons of thel'r

office. Ehe Court rculd nuch prefer that ttre solution to this
probleur be brought about by leglslatlve act, and rlth tbe hope that

tJre uecesaarl,, changes nay be brought about ln that fashlon the

@urt rl11 not at ttrls tine grant the Plalntlffer prayers for

lujunctlve rellef. In ttre abgence of a leglslatlve aolutlon lt
u111, of clousse, be necestarl' tor ttre court to grant the inJunctlve

rellef eought.

IT IS SO ORDERED thle 26th day of JanuarT, 1983.

i. nonrnr EltrorI
T'NTTED STASES DISTRI T JUDGE