Filed Date: Feb. 21, 1962
Closed Date: Oct. 23, 1963
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This is a case about a county in Louisiana depriving citizens of the United States of the right to vote based on race or color.
On February 21, 1962, the Attorney General of the United States filed suit in the Western District of Louisiana against the Registrar of Voters of Jackson Parish, the State of Louisiana, and the Citizens’ Council of Jackson Parish (as an organization and six members in their individual capacity), represented by the Attorney General of Louisiana. The U.S. Attorney General alleged that the defendants’ discriminatory practices violated the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sought an injunction against the practices. The case was decided by decided by Chief Judge Ben C. Dawkins, Jr.
The federal government's claims were based on the following events. In October 1956, the defendant Council challenged the registration status of 85% of Black voters and 2% of White voters registered in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, citing alleged errors, omissions, and handwriting discrepancies on the application forms. The same or similar errors were present on 75% of the White voters whose applications went unchallenged. Despite knowing these facts, the defendant Registrar removed the names of all the challenged voters from the voter rolls. Shortly after this removal, Jackson Parish adopted a permanent registration system whereby all individuals registered at the time of adoption were granted automatic permanent registration status.
Following the removal of most Black voters and the permanent registration of the White voters, the defendant Registrar began applying stringent tests for voter registration exclusively to Black applicants, while not imposing the same requirements on White applicants. These tests included defining difficult words on the application, writing from dictation a portion of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, and interpreting sections of the U.S. Constitution to the defendant Registrar’s satisfaction. Concurrently, the defendant Registrar accepted applications from White applicants who were unable to read or understand the application form. Over a six-year period, the defendant Registrar rejected 64% of Black voter applicants while accepting 98% of White voter applicants.
On October 23, 1963, the court issued its opinion. The court concluded that the defendants engaged in racially discriminatory practices in both intent and effect, violating Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The court determined discrimination existed due to the defendants' failure to prove that the rejected Black applicants did not meet the standards and requirements applied to the accepted White applicants. Consequently, the court issued an injunction prohibiting the defendants from continuing their discriminatory practices. Defendant Council was enjoined from initiating discriminatory challenges and defendant Register was ordered to reinstate the challenged Black voter applicants and halt applying different, more stringent tests to Black voter applicants. Specifically, defendant Registered was enjoined from requiring applicants to read aloud any portion of the application form or to pronounce or define any words or statements therein, or to recompute their ages after they have already stated their ages, or to understand or interpret any portion of the Constitution.
The case is closed.
Summary Authors
Ella Bedecarre (1/27/2025)
Doar, John (District of Columbia)
Marshall, Burke (District of Columbia)
White, Byron Raymond (District of Columbia)
Wilson, T. Fitzhugh (Louisiana)
Last updated March 13, 2024, 3 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Louisiana
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 21, 1962
Closing Date: Oct. 23, 1963
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Civil Rights Act of 1957/1960, 52 U.S.C. § 10101 (previously 42 U.S.C. § 1971)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Content of Injunction:
Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)
Amount Defendant Pays: litigation costs
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Voting: