Opinion ID: 763120
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Chilling effects

Text: 33 The class argues that the district court erred because it disregarded testimony that Ohio's electoral system discourages minorities from running for judicial office. To the contrary, the district court concluded that [b]ecause candidates who do not run cannot be elected, it is impossible to statistically measure this so-called chilling effect. Although conceding that this statement is technically accurate, the class labels it cynical, and accuses the district court of a lack of understanding of the continuing impact of racially discriminatory practices that, when coupled with patterns of consistent racial bloc voting, deters African Americans from fully participating in the judicial electoral process. The class further complains that the district court analyzed only those elections in which African-American candidates participated. 34 Although the class argues that the district court failed to take account of the alleged chilling effect, it provides no legal support for its argument. The class cites no case that holds that a § 2 claim may proceed in the absence of statistical evidence of racial bloc voting. Furthermore, the charge that the district court ignored patterns of racial bloc voting is unsupportable, because the class was unable to prove that such voting occurred. Finally, the claim that the district court erred in not looking at elections in which African-Americans did not run is without merit. Based upon the statistics offered by both sides at trial, the district court concluded that African-American attorneys in the challenged districts are actually more likely to be elected to the bench than are their Caucasian colleagues. 35 The class, however, cites three cases from other circuits for the proposition that district courts should consider the possibility that African-Americans do not run because they cannot win. See Nipper v. Smith, 1 F.3d 1171, 1179-80 (11th Cir.1993); Westwego Citizens for Better Gov't v. Westwego, 872 F.2d 1201, 1208-09 n. 9 (5th Cir.1989); McMillan v. Escambia County, 748 F.2d 1037, 1045 (5th Cir.1984). But even if this circuit were to adopt such an approach, it would only apply in a case where there was evidence that African-Americans could not win. Here, the evidence shows exactly the opposite. 36