Opinion ID: 380335
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Constitutional Guidelines

Text: 15 A discussion of the applicable precedent is necessary to set in the proper context a review of this case. Government employers can neither coerce employees to compromise their beliefs nor place unconstitutional conditions upon public employment. Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593, 597, 92 S.Ct. 2694, 2697, 33 L.Ed.2d 570 (1972); Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563, 568, 88 S.Ct. 1731, 1734, 20 L.Ed.2d 811 (1968); Keyishian v. Board of Regents, 385 U.S. 589, 605-06, 87 S.Ct. 675, 684-685, 17 L.Ed.2d 629 (1967). The employee does not, however, receive blanket first amendment protection regardless of the governmental interest. A balance is struck between the employee's first amendment interest and the government's interest in promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs through its employees. Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. at 568, 88 S.Ct. at 1735. Not only must the means chosen be rationally related to furthering a paramount or vital governmental interest, but the means must also be closely drawn to avoid unnecessary abridgement of first amendment freedoms. Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1, 64-65, 96 S.Ct. 612, 656, 46 L.Ed.2d 659 (1976); Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. at 568, 88 S.Ct. at 1734. 16 In Elrod v. Burns, 427 U.S. 347, 96 S.Ct. 2673, 49 L.Ed.2d 547 (1976), the Supreme Court applied this first amendment framework to partisan dismissals of county employees. The sheriff in Elrod had discharged or threatened discharge of the Process Division's chief deputy, an office employee, a process server, and a bailiff-security guard. Id. at 351, 96 S.Ct. at 2678. The Court held that the Constitution proscribes discharge of non-civil service employees solely because they did not support and were not members of the political party of the newly-elected sheriff, or solely because they had failed to obtain the sponsorship of the leaders of that party. In his plurality opinion, Justice Brennan noted that patronage dismissals are but one form of patronage practice. The practice also includes placing loyal supporters in government jobs that may or may not have been made available by political discharges. Id. at 353, 96 S.Ct. at 2679. 8 Justice Brennan stated the test for balancing private and governmental interests: 17 (I)f conditioning the retention of public employment on the employee's support of the in-party is to survive constitutional challenge, it must further some vital government end by a means that is least restrictive of freedom of belief and association in achieving that end, and the benefit gained must outweigh the loss of constitutionally protected rights. 18 Id. at 363, 96 S.Ct. at 2685 (footnote omitted). The plurality rejected the position that interests in efficiency and effectiveness were furthered by wholesale replacement of employees whenever a new political party rises to power. Id. at 364-67, 96 S.Ct. at 2685-2686. Found to be of greater weight were the employer's interests in political loyalty. The plurality decided, however, that loyalty too was inadequate to justify wholesale patronage dismissals. Limiting patronage dismissals to policymaking positions is sufficient to achieve this governmental end. Id. at 367-68, 372-73, 96 S.Ct. at 2687. Justices Stewart and Blackmun concurred, stating that a nonpolicymaking, nonconfidential government employee cannot be discharged solely because of political beliefs. 19 Recently in Branti v. Finkel, --- U.S. ----, 100 S.Ct. 1287, 63 L.Ed.2d 574 (1980), the Supreme Court reaffirmed Elrod's principle but modified its exception for policymaking employees. In Branti, the Court found constitutional deficiencies in the planned termination of Assistant County Public Defenders solely because they had not been recommended or sponsored by the in-party caucus. 9 In rejecting the argument that assistants are policymaking and confidential employees, the court recast the exception for when an employer could justifiably dismiss employees despite their exercise of their first amendment freedom to choose their political beliefs: 20 (I)f an employee's private political beliefs would interfere with the discharge of his public duties, his First Amendment rights may be required to yield to the State's vital interest in maintaining governmental effectiveness and efficiency. 21 In sum, the ultimate inquiry is not whether the label policymaker or confidential fits a particular position; rather, the question is whether the hiring authority can demonstrate that party affiliation is an appropriate requirement for the effective performance of the public office involved. 22 --- U.S. at ----, 100 S.Ct. at 1294. The Court rejected a blanket exception for policymaking employees. The employer must show that the required political support or affiliation is relevant or essential to the job. Id.