United States v. McClellan
United States v. McClellan
Opinion of the Court
Asserting jurisdiction under 42 U.S. C.A. § 1971(d) and 28 U.S.C.A. § 1345, an action was instituted for the United States and in its name by the Attorney General, as authorized by 42 U.S.C.A. § 1971(c) against Henry B. McClellan, Circuit Court Clerk and Registrar of Holmes County, Mississippi, joining the State of Mississippi as a defendant. It was charged in the complaint that the defendants in conducting registration for voting in Holmes County engaged in racially discriminatory acts and practices which deprived the Negro citizens of that county of the right to register and vote without distinction of race or color. It was alleged that the deprivation of the Negro citizens of the county of their rights to become registered as voters was pursuant to a pattern and practice. In-junctive and other relief was sought. A Three-judge court was requested. A motion to dismiss was filed and over-ruled. An answer was filed containing general denials of the pertinent factual aver-ments of the complaint and asserting that the Federal statutes were unconstitutional. The application for injunctive relief was presented to the Honorable Sidney C. Mize, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi, who notified the Acting Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that the action was one which was required to be heard and determined by a Three-judge court. Warren L. Jones, United States Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and Claude F. Clayton, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi, were designated to serve with Judge Mize to constitute a court for hearing and determining the action. The testimony of witnesses was taken by interrogatories and at the trial of the cause before the court, and documentary evidence was submitted. After the taking of testimony had been completed and both plaintiff and defendants had rested, but before the testimony had been transcribed and argument of counsel had been presented, Judge Mize died. A stipulation between the plaintiff and defendants was entered into and filed in the cause by which it was agreed that a third judge might be designated by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to replace the late Sidney C. Mize and that the newly appointed judge would fully participate in the consideration and decision of the cause. The right to a retrial or representation of evidence was expressly waived. The Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit designated Griffin B. Bell, United States Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in place and stead of the late Sidney C. Mize. Briefs were filed and the cause was orally argued by counsel before the court consisting of Judges Jones, Bell and Clayton.
Prior to the argument on the merits, the defendants filed a motion to dissolve the Three-judge court and to dismiss the action for want of jurisdiction on the ground that no member of the court is a district judge of the Southern District of Mississippi in which the proceeding was instituted. By this motion it is contended that a legally constituted Three-judge court under the applicable statute
If the defendants’ position is sound, it would follow that an action such as this, which must be expedited,
At the time the action was commenced and at the time the testimony was taken, it was provided by the constitution
The defendants, during the course of the trial, objected to the admission of evidence relating to matters occurring prior to the time when the defendant McClellan became Registrar, to the admission of poll tax lists and other evidence relating to poll taxes, to the admission in evidence of an index to registration applications, and to the admission of evidence as to the number of Negro teachers in the County. Rulings were reserved and the evidence tendered was received subject to the objections. None of the evidence which the Court is asked to exclude bears very heavy in the scale and if all of it should be rejected the result would not be affected. However, it is our view that the objections made go to the weight of the challenged evidence rather than to its admissibility. The objections will be overruled.
On the issue of discrimination by the Registrar against Negro applicants, the evidence of the United States does not make out a strong case. Some of the Government’s witnesses were shown to be unworthy of belief. However, we think that the evidence is such as not only permits but requires a finding that the Registrar discriminated against Negro applicants and favored white applicants. In many instances, the Registrar permitted those of the white race to register on the day their applications were submitted while deferring action upon applications of Negroes for a thirty-day period. He declined to permit more than one Negro at a time to work on an application form while allowing more than one white applicant to do so. He assisted white applicants in the filling out of the application forms and denied such assistance to Negroes. The evidence demonstrates that the discrimination by the Registrar against Negroes in the making by them and the processing by him of applications to register was pursuant to a pattern and practice. United States v. Ward, 5th Cir. 1965, 349 F.2d 795; 352 F.2d 329; United States v. Ward, 5th Cir. 1965, 345 F.2d 857; United States v. Logue, 5th Cir. 1965, 344 F.2d 290; United States v. Parker, M.D.Ala.1964, 236 F.Supp. 511.
The evidence as to the Registrar’s rudeness to Negro applicants relates to isolated instances and is not such as would justify a finding of a practice and pattern of harassment and humiliation of Negro applicants.
The United States urges that this is a case for freezing relief. In United States v. Atkins, 5th Cir. 1963, 323 F.2d 733, it was held that the freezing principle would be appropriate only where there was no alternative whereby justice could be obtained. See United States v. Ramsey, 5th Cir. 1964, 331 F.2d 824. If the constitution and statutes of Mississippi were now as they were when this action was commenced we would agree with the United States and provide for freezing relief in the judgment of the Court. The laws are changed and, as has been observed, by the new statutes and constitutional amendments of Mississippi the fundamental objectives which freezing would accomplish have
While this action was pending the Congress passed and the President approved the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The judgment will be in substantially the form outlined in the recently decided cases. See Brown v. Katherine Ward, supra; Brown v. Wilbur G. Ward, supra. The awarding and taxing of costs will be deferred. This opinion will stand for and be taken as findings of fact and conclusions of law.
. In any proceeding instituted by the United States in any district court of the United States under this section in which the Attorney General requests a finding of a pattern or practice of discrimination pursuant to subsection (e) of this section the Attorney General, at the time he files the complaint, or any defendant in the proceeding, within twenty days after service upon bim of the complaint, may file with the clerk of such court a request that a court of three judges be convened to hear and determine the entire case. A copy of the request for a three-judge court shall be immediately furnished by such clerk to the chief judge of the circuit (or in his absence, the presiding circuit judge of the
In any proceeding brought under subsection (e) of this section to enforce subsection (b) of this section, or in the event neither the Attorney General nor any defendant files a request for a three-judge court iu any proceeding authorized by this subsection, it shall be the duty of the chief judge of the district (or in his absence, the acting chief judge) in which the case is pending immediately to designate a judge in such district to hear and determine the case. In the event that no judge in the district is available to hear and determine the case, the chief judge of the district, or the acting chief judge, as the case may be, shall certify this fact to the chief judge of the circuit (or, in his absence, the acting chief judge) who shall then designate a district or circuit judge of the circuit to hear and determine the case. 42 U.S. O.A. § 1971(h) [Emphasis supplied.]
. 42 U.S.O.A. § 1971(h).
. Of which there are a substantial number. 28 U.S.C.A. § 133.
. Miss.Constitution § 244.
. Miss.Code 1942 § 3213.
. Senate Bills Nos. 1501 to 1510, inclusive.
. 137,236 for; 50,748 against.
. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 103 amending Sections 242 and 244, enacting Section 244-A, and repealing Section 241-A, of the Mississippi Constitution.
. The validity of the Mississippi poll tax laws is not an issue.
. On a few occasions when Negroes came to make applications to register in such numbers as made it inconvenient to have them wait inside, they were directed to wait under a tree in the Court House yard. We think the Government overemphasizes these incidents and we are not persuaded that they were or were intended to be discriminatory.
. P.L. 89-110, 79 Stat. 437, 89th Cong. S. 1564.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- United States v. Henry B. McCLELLAN, Circuit Court Clerk and Registrar, Holmes County, Mississippi, State of Mississippi
- Status
- Published