State Ex Rel. Paulson v. Meier

127 N.W.2d 665, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 98
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 23, 1964
Docket8155
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 127 N.W.2d 665 (State Ex Rel. Paulson v. Meier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Paulson v. Meier, 127 N.W.2d 665, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 98 (N.D. 1964).

Opinions

TEIGEN, Judge.

The petitioners herein presented to this court a petition setting forth that they are citizens of the United States and of the State of North Dakota, and, as registered voters, are entitled to vote for members of the Legislature of the State of North Dakota in four senatorial districts. The petition challenges Sections 26, 29 and 35 of Article II, Section 214 of Article XVIII of the Constitution of the State of North Dakota, Section 54-03-01 of the North Dakota Century Code as it existed prior to and after the 1963 amendment, and all earlier dis-tricting and reapportionment laws of the State of North Dakota as being violative of the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The petitioners ask this court to take original jurisdiction and restrain the Secretary of State from doing any act necessary to the holding of elections for members of the House of Representatives or Senate of the North Dakota State Legislature under any of the aforementioned sections of the Constitution and the North Dakota Century Code. The petition also prays that this [668]*668court find and declare that the former sections, Sections 26, 29 and 35 of Article II of the Constitution of the State of North Dakota, as they existed prior to the 1960 amendments, are now part and parcel of the Constitution; that this court make its decree fixing the number of Senators which shall constitute the Senate of North Dakota, dividing the State into as many senatorial or legislative districts as there are Senators and fixing the number of Representatives which shall constitute the House of Representatives, the number of members thereof to be elected from the several senatorial districts, or in the alternative to hold that this court will do so, unless the Legislature is convened in special session within a time to be limited and redistricts and apportions under old Sections 26, 29 and 35.

This controversy is clearly one affecting the sovereignty of the State and the franchises, prerogatives and liberties of the people. It is clearly within the jurisdiction of this court as prescribed by Section 87 of our Constitution.

It appears, however, the petitioners found themselves in a dilemma. They first invoked the jurisdiction of the three-judge United States District Court. That court invoked the doctrine of abstention on the ground that this court be given an opportunity to pass on all the constitutional issues involved and stayed proceedings and retained jurisdiction. Petitioners state in their petition to this court:

“That this petition has been filed in this court by direction of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, and your petitioners are exposing their Federal claims in this court only for the purpose of complying with the direction of the United States Court so that the statutory and constitutional provisions of the State of North Dakota may be construed in light of these Federal claims.”

The per curiam order of abstention of the three-judge United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, Southwestern Division, omitting its formal parts, reads as follows:

“PER CURIAM
“We said in Civil 424, [Lein v. Sathre] 201 F.Supp. 535, 542:
“ ‘It cannot be said, therefore, that the issues presented here, or any of the basic questions which are related to the question of the validity of the apportionment plan have ever been presented to or considered by the Supreme Court of North Dakota. We believe that Court should have the opportunity of passing on all questions herein before-further proceedings are had in this-Court.’
“Moreover, in our order of July 22,. 1963, we said:
“ ‘It is apparent to us that where, as: here, Plaintiffs have ample time and opportunity to litigate a cause such as this in the Supreme Court of North Dakota, we are following the teachings of Scholle v. Hare, 369 U.S. 429 [82 S.Ct. 910, 8 L.Ed.2d 1], In that case the Supreme Court of the United States remanded to the Supreme Court of Michigan a similar question so that Court could be “the first to consider the merits of the federal constitutional claim free from any doubt of its justi-ciability.”
“ ‘Moreover, Scholle, decided after Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 [82 S.Ct. 691, 7 L.Ed.2d 663] clearly indicates that such questions as Plaintiffs now seek to raise here are not only appropriate for consideration by a state court, but that state courts have an obligation to enforce and protect the rights created by the Constitution of the United States.’ (Emphasis added.)
“This Court will retain jurisdiction of the action, but all proceedings are ordered stayed until the Supreme Court [669]*669of North Dakota has an opportunity to pass upon all of the constitutional issues involved in the instant case.
“Dated at Bismarck, North Dakota, this 30th day of March, 1964.”

Thereafter, the United States District Court was petitioned for a modification of their per curiam order to provide the primacy of the United States District Court to decide that questions of Federal law be retained and cited in support thereof England et al. v. Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, 375 U.S. 411, 84 S.Ct. 461, 11 L.Ed.2d 440. The United States District Court denied the petition for modification on April 1, 1964.

Petitioners thereupon brought the instant proceeding in this court, stating it was “by direction of the United States District Court” and that they “are exposing their Federal claims in this court only for the purpose of complying with the direction of the United States Court so that the statutory and constitutional provisions of the State of North Dakota may be construed in the light of these Federal claims.”

It is clear the petitioners desire to restrict these proceedings in such a manner as to preserve their right to return to the United States District Court to litigate the Federal questions.

In its original order invoking the doctrine of abstention, the United States District Court cited Scholle v. Hare, 369 U.S. 429, 82 S.Ct. 910, 8 L.Ed.2d 1, as its authority for invoking the doctrine. Scholle v. Hare, however, was a per curiam opinion of the United States Supreme Court on an appeal from the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan. That case originated in the State courts. Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court did not retain jurisdiction but remanded the case to the Supreme Court of Michigan for further consideration in the light of Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 82 S.Ct. 691, 7 L.Ed.2d 663. Scholle v. Hare, supra, is not applicable. In this instance the proceeding was initiated in the Federal court. It invoked sua sponte, the doctrine of abstention retaining jurisdiction of the action, but stayed all proceedings until the Supreme Court of North Dakota has an opportunity to pass upon all of the constitutional issues involved.

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State Ex Rel. Paulson v. Meier
127 N.W.2d 665 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
127 N.W.2d 665, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-paulson-v-meier-nd-1964.