Prewitt v. Moore

840 F. Supp. 428, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18628, 1993 WL 546954
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedNovember 2, 1993
DocketNo. 4:92CV296-D-O
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 840 F. Supp. 428 (Prewitt v. Moore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prewitt v. Moore, 840 F. Supp. 428, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18628, 1993 WL 546954 (N.D. Miss. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DAVIDSON, District Judge.

The above styled case is before this three-judge panel on a Motion by the State Defendants to Dismiss the Section 5 claim which was filed by the plaintiff pursuant to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1973 et seq. In the complaint filed by the plaintiff, Mr. Prewitt alleges that Miss.Code Ann. §§ 9-1-103 & 105, chapter 587, should have been submitted to the United States Department of Justice for approval as a prerequisite for the legislation to have legal effect. Section 9-1-103, which was enacted by the Mississippi Legislature in the 1989 session, allows the Governor of Mississippi to appoint qualified individuals to fill vacancies that occur for unexpired terms of office in judicial posts by reason of death of the incumbent, resignation, retirement, removal from office, etc.

§ 9-1-103. Vacancy in office.
Whenever a vacancy shall occur in any judicial office by reason of death of an incumbent, resignation or retirement of an incumbent, removal of an incumbent from office, or creation of a new judicial office in which there has not heretofore been an incumbent, the Governor shall have the authority to appoint a qualified person to fill such vacancy to serve for the unexpired term or until such vacancy is filled by election as provided in Section 23-15-849, Mississippi Code of 1972. When a vacancy shall occur for any of the reasons enumerated in this section, the clerk of the court shall notify the Governor of such vacancy immediately.

Miss.Code Ann. § 9-1-103 (Rev.1991).

Similarly, section 9-1-105 paves the way for judicial appointments by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, with the advice and consent of a majority of the justices, to appoint special judges to serve on an emergency basis in certain situations. Specifically, section 9-1-105 refers to physical disability or sickness of a judge, absence of a judicial officer from the state, judicial disqualification under the Code of Judicial Conduct, or “for any other reason.” Miss.Code Ann. § 9-1-105(1) (Rev.1991).

Originally, this matter came before the court upon plaintiffs complaint1 and a concurrent motion for a temporary restraining order/preliminary injunction. The motion for a temporary restraining order was denied; however, plaintiff refiled his motion for preliminary injunction on March 22, 1993. In his motion for preliminary injunction, plaintiff sought a menu of drastic “remedies” which included an order from the court which would, in effect, halt the operation of state government in Mississippi.2 Just prior to [430]*430the time this three judge panel was convened, Judge Glen H. Davidson, the single district court judge before whom plaintiffs section 2 claim was pending,3 issued an opinion and order denying plaintiffs second motion for preliminary injunction. Under authority of Canal Authority of the State of Florida v. Callaway, 489 F.2d 567 (5th Cir.1974), the court found that plaintiff had met none of the prerequisites for a preliminary injunction.4 Since that time, the plaintiff has filed numerous, additional motions which are purportedly generic to the section 5 claim as well as his section 2 claim pending before the single judge court.5 In due course, the court will address all pending motions. However, the State Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the section 5 claim is the focus today of this three-judge court.

While it is undisputed that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act applies to judicial elections,6 it applicability is linked to certain conditions and situations brought upon by the State or its political subdivisions. Earlier in the year, this three-judge panel directed the parties to submit briefs on the issue of whether or not Miss. Code Ann. §§ 9-1-103 & -105, concerned a change in a voting qualification, voting prerequisite, standard, practice or procedure which resulted in a denial or abridgement of a citizen’s right to vote on the basis of one’s race. See 42 U.S.C. § 1973c.7 At this point, the court has had the benefit of the excellent submissions filed by both parties regarding the applicability of section 5 to the legislation placed in issue by the plaintiff. Following careful study and [431]*431research, the court is of the opinion that Miss.Code Ann. §§ 9-1-103 &-105 implicate no change in any qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure with respect to voting, different from that in force or effect on November 1, 1964. Consequently, the Motion by the State Defendant’s to Dismiss the Section 5 claim is well taken, and the same will be granted by separate order to be issued this day.

Both statutes, sections 9-1-103 and 9-1-105, pertain to the filling of judicial vacancies and the appointment of special judges, respectively. The court arrives at its conclusion that neither statute concerns changes with respect to voting requiring pre-clearance with the Department of Justice by tracing the history of legislative enactments prior to November 1, 1964, to the present. First, the court examines judicial vacancies which are addressed by § 9-1-103.

Judicial Vacancies

Prior to 1935, Mississippi had several statutes which concerned the appointment of special judges and the filling of judicial vacancies. For example, § 3312 of the Mississippi Code governed the filling of judicial vacancies for district attorneys, chancery judges, and circuit court judges. Section 3316 addressed the filling of vacancies on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Another provision, § 1653 concerned the appointment of special judges. However, in 1935, sections 3312 and 3316 were superseded by § 3190 to the extent that sections 3312 and 3316 applied to the filling of judicial vacancies.8 Therefore, Mississippi Code Annotated § 3190 (whose origin is found in the 1935 session laws), governed the special election process for judicial vacancies prior to November 1, 1964. In 1972, this section was recodified at Miss.Code Ann. § 23-5-247 (1972); and in 1986, recodified again at Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-849 as part of the election code.

Beginning with the Mississippi Code of 1942, section 3190 provided as follows:

§ 3190 Vacancies.
Vacancies in the office of judge of the Supreme Court, or circuit judge, or chancellor, shall be filled for the unexpired term by the qualified electors at. the next regular election for State officers or for representatives in Congress, occurring more than nine months after the existence of the vacancy to be filled, and the term of office of the person elected to fill a vacancy shall commence on the first Monday in January following his election.

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Bluebook (online)
840 F. Supp. 428, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18628, 1993 WL 546954, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prewitt-v-moore-msnd-1993.