Source: http://digitalcollections.uncc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16033coll20/id/4883/
Timestamp: 2019-10-19 08:35:05
Document Index: 295424400

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2']

Home Kelly Alexander, Sr. Papers Concerning the NAACP, 1948-1998 naacp-ms508-0211034-117
of § 2 and its legislative history plainly
demonstrate that proof that some minority
candidates have been elected does not foreclose a § 2 claim.
[23] Moreover, in conducting its "independent consideration of the record" and
its "searching practical evaluation of the
'past and present reality,'" the District
Court could appropriately take account of
the circumstances surrounding recent black
electoral success in deciding its significance
to appellees' claim. In particular, as the
Senate Report makes clear, Id., at 29, n.
115, the court could properly notice the fact
that black electoral success increased
markedly in the 1982 election—an election
that occurred after the instant lawsuit had
been filed—and could properly consider to
what extent "the pendency of this very
litigation [might have] worked a one-time
advantage for black candidates in the form
of unusual organized political support by
white leaders concerned to forestall single-
member districting."37 590 F.Supp., at
367, n. 27.
Nothing in the statute or its legislative
history prohibited the court from viewing
with some caution black candidates' success in the 1982 election, and from deciding
on the basis of all the relevant circumstances to accord greater weight to blacks' relative lack of success over the course of
several recent elections. Consequently, we
hold that the District Court did not err, as
a matter of law, in refusing to treat the
fact that some black candidates have succeeded as dispositive of appellees' § 2
claim. Where multimember districting
generally works to dilute the minority vote,
it cannot be defended on the ground that it
37. See also Zimmer v. McKeithen, 485 F.2d
1297, 1307 (CA5 1973) ("[W]e cannot endorse
the view that the success of black candidates at
the polls necessarily forecloses the possibility of
dilution of the black vote. Such success might,
on occasion, be attributable to the work of politicians, who, apprehending that the support of a
black candidate would be politically expedient,
campaign to insure his election. Or such success might be attributable to political support
motivated by different considerations—namely
that election of a black candidate will thwart
sporadically   and  serendipitously  benefits
[24] The District Court did err, however, in ignoring the significance of the
sustained success black voters have experienced in House District 23. In that district, the last six elections have resulted in
proportional representation for black residents. This persistent proportional representation is inconsistent with appellees' allegation that the ability of black voters in
District 23 to elect representatives of their
choice is not equal to that enjoyed by the
In some situations, it may be possible for
§ 2 plaintiffs to demonstrate that such sustained success does not accurately reflect
the minority group's ability to elect its preferred representatives,38 but appellees have
not done so here. Appellees presented evidence relating to black electoral success in
the last three elections; they failed utterly,
though, to offer any explanation for the
success of black candidates in the previous
three elections. Consequently, we believe
that the District Court erred, as a matter
of law, in ignoring the sustained success
black voters have enjoyed in House District
23, and would reverse with respect to that
ULTIMATE DETERMINATION OF
Finally, appellants and the United States
dispute the District Court's ultimate conclusion that the  multimember districting
successful challenges to electoral schemes on
dilution grounds. In either situation, a candidate could be elected despite the relative political backwardness of black residents in the electoral district").
38. We have no occasion in this case to decide
what types of special circumstances could satisfactorily demonstrate that sustained success
does not accurately reflect the minority's ability
to elect its preferred representatives.
Title naacp-ms508-0211034-117
OCR Transcript 2780 106 SUPREME COURT REPORTER of § 2 and its legislative history plainly demonstrate that proof that some minority candidates have been elected does not foreclose a § 2 claim. [23] Moreover, in conducting its "independent consideration of the record" and its "searching practical evaluation of the 'past and present reality,'" the District Court could appropriately take account of the circumstances surrounding recent black electoral success in deciding its significance to appellees' claim. In particular, as the Senate Report makes clear, Id., at 29, n. 115, the court could properly notice the fact that black electoral success increased markedly in the 1982 election—an election that occurred after the instant lawsuit had been filed—and could properly consider to what extent "the pendency of this very litigation [might have] worked a one-time advantage for black candidates in the form of unusual organized political support by white leaders concerned to forestall single- member districting."37 590 F.Supp., at 367, n. 27. Nothing in the statute or its legislative history prohibited the court from viewing with some caution black candidates' success in the 1982 election, and from deciding on the basis of all the relevant circumstances to accord greater weight to blacks' relative lack of success over the course of several recent elections. Consequently, we hold that the District Court did not err, as a matter of law, in refusing to treat the fact that some black candidates have succeeded as dispositive of appellees' § 2 claim. Where multimember districting generally works to dilute the minority vote, it cannot be defended on the ground that it 37. See also Zimmer v. McKeithen, 485 F.2d 1297, 1307 (CA5 1973) ("[W]e cannot endorse the view that the success of black candidates at the polls necessarily forecloses the possibility of dilution of the black vote. Such success might, on occasion, be attributable to the work of politicians, who, apprehending that the support of a black candidate would be politically expedient, campaign to insure his election. Or such success might be attributable to political support motivated by different considerations—namely that election of a black candidate will thwart sporadically and serendipitously benefits minority voters. B [24] The District Court did err, however, in ignoring the significance of the sustained success black voters have experienced in House District 23. In that district, the last six elections have resulted in proportional representation for black residents. This persistent proportional representation is inconsistent with appellees' allegation that the ability of black voters in District 23 to elect representatives of their choice is not equal to that enjoyed by the white majority. In some situations, it may be possible for § 2 plaintiffs to demonstrate that such sustained success does not accurately reflect the minority group's ability to elect its preferred representatives,38 but appellees have not done so here. Appellees presented evidence relating to black electoral success in the last three elections; they failed utterly, though, to offer any explanation for the success of black candidates in the previous three elections. Consequently, we believe that the District Court erred, as a matter of law, in ignoring the sustained success black voters have enjoyed in House District 23, and would reverse with respect to that District. ULTIMATE DETERMINATION OF VOTE DILUTION Finally, appellants and the United States dispute the District Court's ultimate conclusion that the multimember districting successful challenges to electoral schemes on dilution grounds. In either situation, a candidate could be elected despite the relative political backwardness of black residents in the electoral district"). 38. We have no occasion in this case to decide what types of special circumstances could satisfactorily demonstrate that sustained success does not accurately reflect the minority's ability to elect its preferred representatives.
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