Snyder v. Munro

721 P.2d 962, 106 Wash. 2d 380
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 10, 1986
Docket52715-6
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 721 P.2d 962 (Snyder v. Munro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snyder v. Munro, 721 P.2d 962, 106 Wash. 2d 380 (Wash. 1986).

Opinions

Dolliver, C.J.

Plaintiffs petition this court for an alternative writ of mandamus and prohibition and submit a complaint for a declaratory judgment that the portion of RCW 44.07B, which establishes the boundaries in state legislative (representative) districts (19-A, 19-B, 39-A, 39-B (RCW 44.07B.190, .195, .390 and .395)), be found defective under the federal and state constitutions. We find RCW 44.07B constitutional and, therefore, deny plaintiffs' petition.

The facts are stipulated by the parties. The present Washington state legislative districting scheme consists of 51 legislative districts and 49 senatorial districts defined by RCW 44.07B (Laws of 1981, ch. 288 and Laws of 1981, 2d Ex. Sess., ch. 5). In 47 of the Washington state legislative-senatorial districts, one state senator and two state representatives are elected at large. In four of the state legislative districts (19-A, 19-B, 39-A, 39-B), only one state representative is elected. One state senator serves in senate district 19 and another serves in senate district 39.

Aside from districts 19-A, 19-B, 39-A, and 39-B, the average population in the other 47 districts is 82,444 (a high of 86,109 and a low of 82,392). The population of the districts at issue is as follows: 19-A is 44,039; 19-B is 41,743; 39-A is 41,734; and 39-B is 43,126. Plaintiffs are qualified registered voters residing in Washington state legislative districts 19-A, 19-B, 39-A, and 39-B.

Shortly after the redistricting statute passed, the Republican State Committee of Washington and Jennifer Dunn brought an action in United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, at Seattle, against Ralph Munro, et al (joined, among others, by the Democratic State Committee of Washington and the Democratic State [383]*383Central Committee as defendants) seeking a declaratory judgment to determine the validity of the statute. On February 25, 1982, a 3-member panel of the court declared the statute to be constitutionally valid pursuant to U.S. Const. amend. 14, § 1.

In November 1983, the voters of Washington approved amendment 74 to the Washington State Constitution. Pursuant to article 23, amendment 74 became Const. art. 2, § 43 on November 8, 1983. Const. art. 2, § 43 sets forth the process for legislative redistricting to begin in 1991.

I

Defendants move to dismiss this action in its entirety on the basis that the constitutionality of RCW 44.07B has been determined "conclusively and with finality" by an agreed judgment signed by a 3-member panel of the United States District Court for Western Washington in Republican State Committee of Washington and Jennifer Dunn v. Ralph Munro, et al, No. C81-596 (Feb. 25, 1982). We agree the prior judgment bars, by res judicata, any subsequent action under the federal constitution.

The doctrine of res judicata bars a second action if that action has a "concurrence of identity" with a prior judgment. Rains v. State, 100 Wn.2d 660, 663, 674 P.2d 165 (1983). The areas of concurrence are the following: (1) subject matter; (2) cause of action; (3) persons and parties; and (4) the quality of the persons for or against whom the claim is made. Rains v. State, supra. This doctrine is applicable to actions involving constitutional rights as well. Rains v. State, supra. The doctrines of res judicata or collateral estoppel do not apply, where the issues and the parties are not the same. International Bhd. of Pulp, Sulphite & Paper Mill Workers v. Delaney, 73 Wn.2d 956, 960, 442 P.2d 250 (1968).

The element frequently in conflict in res judicata issues is whether the identity of parties is the same for res judicata purposes. The identity of the parties is not a mere matter of form, but is one of substance; the court will look [384]*384to the legal effect of the identity of the parties even though they may be nominally different. Rains v. State, supra at 664. Thus, a party is in privity for res judicata purposes if represented by one with the authority to do so. United States v. ITT Rayonier, Inc., 627 F.2d 996, 1003 (9th Cir. 1980). Also, a final judgment effective against the State may also be effective against its citizens because their common public rights as citizens were represented by the State in proceedings. Tacoma v. Taxpayers, 357 U.S. 320, 340-41, 2 L. Ed. 2d 1345, 78 S. Ct. 1209 (1958).

In the prior judgment, the Republican State Committee brought the action seeking a declaratory judgment on the validity of the 1981 legislative districts apportionment statute, RCW 44.07B, under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The identity of subject matter in both the prior action and the present action is an alleged deprivation of constitutional rights.

The question remaining is whether the parties to this action are in sufficient privity with the parties in the prior judgment to bar their claim of a Fourteenth Amendment violation. We find they are. The parties in the prior judgment were the acknowledged heads of the major political parties in Washington state and several state officials (including Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General). Arguably, all citizens of Washington state were well represented in this agreed judgment by the parties with the authority to do so. Plaintiffs in the present action identify themselves as registered voters in one of the four districts at issue and as members of a "political party or group" against which the legislative redistricting act discriminates. We hold plaintiffs had their interests represented in the prior judgment with regard to their Fourteenth Amendment challenge.

Even if plaintiffs' action under the Fourteenth Amendment was not barred by res judicata, however, no federal equal protection rights would be violated. In Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533, 568, 12 L. Ed. 2d 506, 84 S. Ct. 1362 (1964), the Court held "the Equal Protection Clause [385]*385requires that the seats in both houses of a bicameral state legislature must be apportioned on a population basis." The requirement of a state legislature was to "make an honest and good faith effort to construct districts ... as nearly of equal population as is practicable." Reynolds, at 577.

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Snyder v. Munro
721 P.2d 962 (Washington Supreme Court, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
721 P.2d 962, 106 Wash. 2d 380, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snyder-v-munro-wash-1986.