National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Flowers
National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Flowers
Opinion of the Court
There is now presented to this Court a motion of the plaintiff, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, filed herein on March 29, 1963, wherein said plaintiff seeks to have this Court set this matter for a hearing on the merits.
This case has been pending in this Court since June 23, 1960. It is an action by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People seeking to invoke the jurisdiction of this Court on the ground that the plaintiff corpora
“We are in agreement with the district court’s decision that this matter should be litigated initially in the courts of the State. But for the reasons here set forth, the judgment will be vacated and the case remanded to the district court with instructions to permit the issues presented to be determined with expedition in the State courts, retaining jurisdiction meanwhile for the purposes here stated.”
From the action of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. That Court in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Gallion, Attorney General of Alabama, et al. (Oct. 23, 1961), 368 U.S. 16, 82 S.Ct. 4, 7 L.Ed.2d 85, vacated the action of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and remanded the matter to said Court, stating:
“The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted. The judgment below is vacated, and the case is remanded to the Court of Appeals with instructions to direct the District Court to proceed with the trial of the issues in this action unless within a reasonable time, no later than January 2, 1962, the State of Alabama shall have accorded to petitioner an opportunity to be heard on its motion to dissolve the state restraining order of June 1, 1956, and upon the merits of the action in which such order was issued. Pending the final determination of all proceedings in the state action, the District Court is authorized to retain jurisdiction over the federal action and to take such steps as may appear necessary and appropriate to assure a prompt disposition of all issues involved in, or connected with, the state action. Truax v. Corrigan, 257 U.S. 312, 331-334 [42 S.Ct. 124, 66 L.Ed. 254].”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, duly and timely appealed to the Supreme Court of Alabama from the action of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Alabama. The records of this Court reflect that the case as appealed was submitted to the Supreme Court of Alabama at the first regular call of the Third Division (the division that includes Montgomery County), this submission being in December 1962 and this call for this division by the Supreme Court of Alabama being fixed by law and being the first call for the Third Division after the briefs were filed.
On February 28, 1963, in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, v. State of Alabama, 274 Ala. 544, 150 So.2d 677, the Supreme Court of Alabama rendered its decision wherein it “affirmed” the decree of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Alabama, permanently enjoining and restraining said association from conducting business in the State of Alabama. The basis for the motion for a hearing on the merits now presented to this Court is that “ * * * this Court is now obligated to take jurisdiction of this matter and render a decision on the merits,” since the Supreme Court for the State of Alabama, instead of considering the merits of the case, affirmed the action of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Alabama, for the failure of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, to comply with Alabama Supreme Court Rule No. 9. This rule has to do with the assignment of error and the arguments of said assignments in the brief as presented to the Supreme Court. As this Court understands the matter, there is no contention on the part of the plaintiff association that the courts for the State of Alabama have not expeditiously handled the case since the action of the Federal appellate courts and the order of this Court of December 13, 1961. In this connection, it is significant to note that the plaintiff association did not, as authorized by Rule
As this Court understands the Supreme Court of the United States in its order and directive as set out in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Gallion, etc. et al., supra, this Court was to proceed with the trial of the issues “ * * * unless within a reasonable time * * * the State of Alabama shall have accorded to petitioner an opportunity to be heard on its motion to dissolve the state restraining order * * The Supreme Court further stated that “[p] ending the final determination of all proceedings in the state action * * this Court was authorized to retain jurisdiction and to take such steps as were necessary and appropriate to assure a prompt disposition in the State court action; that has been and continues to be done. As this Court understands the matter, the Supreme Court of the United States and the Fifth Circuit in its mandate made and entered herein on December 11,1961, have not ordered and directed this Court to grant the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, a hearing on the merits if and when it received an adverse ruling in the State courts. The Supreme Court of the United States has, in the exercise of its jurisdiction over the Supreme Court of the State of Alabama, been available to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, regularly during the history of this litigation.
For the foregoing reasons and for good cause, it is the order, judgment and decree of this Court that the motion of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a Corporation, filed herein on March 29, 1963, seeking to have this Court conduct a hearing on the merits of this matter, be and the same is hereby denied.
. The ease was originally against MacDonald Gallion as Attorney General and Mrs. Bettye Frink as Secretary of State. This Court, acting pursuant to the provisions of Rule 25(d), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, by order made and entered herein on April 5, 1963, substituted Flowers and Baggett, the present incumbents of the offices as designated, for those individuals originally named as defendants in their official capacities.
. Title 13, § 22, Code of Alabama, Recompiled 1958.
. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama (1958), 357 U.S. 449, 78 S.Ct. 1163, 2 L.Ed.2d 1488; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama, 360 U.S. 240, 79 S.Ct. 1001, 3 L.Ed.2d 1205.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR the ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE, a Corporation v. Richmond M. FLOWERS, Attorney General of Alabama, Agnes Baggett, Secretary of State, State of Alabama
- Status
- Published