Sharp v. Lucky

148 F. Supp. 8, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3965
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJanuary 30, 1957
DocketCiv. A. No. 5734
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 148 F. Supp. 8 (Sharp v. Lucky) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sharp v. Lucky, 148 F. Supp. 8, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3965 (W.D. La. 1957).

Opinion

BEN C. DAWKINS, Jr., Chief Judge.

Plaintiff is a Negro citizen of Louisiana, who has been licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of this State. He is a registered voter. He brings this action against defendant, who also is a Louisiana citizen, in her official capacity [9]*9as Registrar of Voters for Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.

Plaintiff claims that his rights of citizenship, under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, have been violated by defendant; and seeks to invoke jurisdiction here under 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1343 and 1357. He apparently also seeks a declaratory judgment under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2201 et seq., although that Section of the Judicial Code is not cited in his complaint.

The prayer is for a decree that 1) “ * * * the defendant has refused to permit plaintiff and the class he represent (sic) register to vote and answer, reply or adjust matters in her office solely because of their race and color * * .” in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments; 2) that defendant “ * * * and her successors in office be ordered to cease, desist and refrain from arbitrarily and capriciously discriminating and segregating (sic) against plaintiff and any members of the class he represent (sic) and Negroes generally in her office solely .because of their color and race”; 3) that a permanent injunction to that effect be issued; 4) that plaintiff have judgment against defendant in damages for $25,000.

As appears from the language quoted, he also attempts to bring the suit as a class action under Rule 23(a), Fed.Rules Civ.Proc., 28 U.S.C.A., on the ground that the class which he allegedly represents, “ * * * namely, Negro citizens of the State of Louisiana, similarly situated, who are (emphasis ours) duly qualified electors under the Constitution and laws of the United States and of the State of Louisiana * * * ” are “ * * * so numerous as to make it impracticable to bring them all before the Court and for this reason plaintiff prosecutes this action in his own behalf and in behalf of the class without specifically naming them in this petition.”

Briefly, stripped of conclusions and superfluities, the complaint makes the following allegations: That on August 25, 1956, plaintiff went to defendant’s office in the Ouachita Parish Court House during regular business hours “ * * * as the attorney for one Willie L. Tillman, for the purpose of advising his client whether or not his registration card was incorrectly filled out; that 'plaintiff was so employed because he had received a letter from the office of the Registrar advising in substance that his card was not properly filled (sic) and that he must appear within ten days and make out a new registration card”; while at defendant’s office, “ * * * they were immediately advised that Negroes would have to go to the police jury room to be waited on and that only white persons could be waited on in her office”; “That plaintiff told defendant his name and presented to defendant his membership card for the Louisiana State Bar Association and told her he represented Willie L. Tillman and wanted to see his card for the prupose (sic) of answering her correspondence to him; that defendant advised that all the cards for Negroes were in the police jury room and only cards for white persons were in her office and only white persons were waited on in there and that defendant handled all white persons and her assistant Mrs. Morin took care of all colored people”; “That defendant refused to let plaintiff and his client see his card and comply with her letter in her office soley (sic) because they are Negroes and that she has and is at present segregating Negroes in her office soley (sic) on the basis of their race. That she has entertained questions of White Attorneys relative to cards of their clients in her office and also questions concerning same from ordinary business citizens * * * ”; “That because of the acts of defendant as above stated plaintiff’s client has lost his status as a voter in Ouachita Parish all because plaintiff was prevented from representing Ms client soley (sic) because of his race; that consequently plaintiff has been damaged in his profession to the extent of twenty-five thousand and no/10Q ($25,000.00) dollars.” (All emphasis ours.)

Defendant has filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief [10]*10can be granted. Oral arguments on the motion were heard on December 27,1956. At that time defendant’s counsel already had filed their brief, on December 19, 1956. Plaintiff, representing himself, insisted that the Court render an immediate decision upon the motion, but we declined to do so and fixed a delay of ten days from the date of the hearing within which he was to file a brief in opposition to the motion. Notwithstanding this, he has not seen fit to favor us with a brief, or any citation of authority; but, rather than rely simply upon the oral argument, and authorities cited by defendant’s counsel, we have thoroughly researched the questions presented and believe we have arrived at a sound and satisfactory answer to them.

It is important, we think, in analyzing plaintiff’s charges against defendant, to take note of what facts he does not allege in his complaint, as well as what he affirmatively avers; i. e., absence of jurisdiction will more clearly appear by enumeration of its deficiencies. He does not allege that his registration as a voter was challenged or cancelled. He does not allege that he was refused all access to his client’s registration card, but simply was told that it was in another room in the Court House. He does not allege that defendant caused or permitted his client’s registration to be challenged improperly or illegally, or that it was can-celled in a discriminatory manner. He does not allege that defendant’s assistant, Mrs. Morin, refused to let him see his client’s card, and does not allege that he even asked her to let him see it. He does not allege that the Police Jury Room is not equally as accessible, convenient, comfortable or useful as any other room in the Court House, and he does not allege that he could not have transacted his business there as well as at another place. Moreover, he does not even allege that he legally could have succeeded in getting his client’s registration reinstated, no matter where his card was kept.

In short, all he actually complains about is that the registration cards of white voters and those of Negro voters were kept in different rooms; and in effect that, because of this, he refused to go to the room or office where his client’s card was kept, although he was perfectly free to do so.

There has been much controversy, in recent times, on many aspects of segregation, but we believe this is the first time any Court has been asked to enjoin the segregation of inanimate objects. No Court has extended the Constitution that far, and we certainly will not do so.

In the final analysis, what plaintiff asserts here is that, as a lawyer, he “lost his case”, simply because of what he refused to do, not because of what defendant did or failed to do. Without regard to the merits or demerits of his client’s position, which is not before us since the client has not sued, he asks us to grant a harsh remedy, not for the protection or vindication of any of his Federal constitutional or statutory, 42 U.S.C.A.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 F. Supp. 8, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3965, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharp-v-lucky-lawd-1957.