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Larry Roe, Perry O. Hooper, Sr., James D. Martin v. State of Alabama, by and Through Its Attorney General James Evans, James Bennett, Honorable Alabama Secretary of State, John W. Davis, a Representative of a Class of Persons Who Have Sought to Have Their Ballots Counted in an Action in the Circuit Court of Coosa County, Alabama, Mobile County Appointing Board, Lionel W. Noonan, Wilcox County Appointing Board, Jerry Boggan, O.P. Woodruff, Honorable Probate Judge of Lowndes County, Willie Vaughner, Honorable Sheriff of Lowndes County, Elsie Davis, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lowndes County, W.A. Kynard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dallas County, Mary C. Moore, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Perry County, Curtis J. Elzie, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Bullock County, David S. Nix, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Barbour County, Devon Kiker, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Russell County, Eddie D. Mallard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of MacOn County, Debra P. Hackett, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Montgomery County, Barbara Craft, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Calhoun County, Polly Conradi, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Billy S. Yates, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Etowah County, Earl Carter, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Bessemer Division, Carolyn M. Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cherokee County, Jean Browning, Honorable Circuit Clerk of St. Clair County, Samuel L. Grice, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Talladega County, Jackie Calhoun, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Baldwin County, Jackie B. Howard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Washington County, Susan F. Wilson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Mobile County, Donald R. Gibson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Choctaw County, Wayne Brunson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Clarke County, John Sawyer, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Monroe County, James D. Taylor, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Escambia County, Brenda M. Peacock, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Pike County, Ann W. Tate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Crenshaw County, Bobby T. Branum, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Butler County, Jean E. Riley, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Conecuh County, Julia L. Trant, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Houston County, Jim Ellis, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Coffee County, Roger A. Powell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Covington County, Connie Burdeshaw, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Henry County, Willie Powell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Wilcox County, Veleria Thomley, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Geneva County, Bettye B. Garrett, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dale County, Vinita B. Thompson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Walker County, James E. Renfroe, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Fayette County, Carl F. Woods, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lamar County, Seyaine Sealy, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marengo County, Jack T. Pate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Pickens County, Johnnie Knott, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Greene County, Carole Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Sumter County, Betty Gayle Pate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Hale County, Kim S. Benefield, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Randolph County, Frank Lucas, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Tallapoosa County, Fred Posey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Autauga County, Horace D. Perry, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cleburne County, Robert Giddens, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Clay County, Phyllis Cumbee, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Chambers County, Earl Sayers, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Elmore County, Dan Reeves, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Shelby County, Doris T. Turner, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Tuscaloosa County, Mike Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Chilton County, Gerald D. Parker, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Coosa County, R.L. Foster, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Bibb County, Billy D. Harbin, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Madison County, Jimmy Lindsey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dekalb County, Jean Albert Scott, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marshall County, Charles Page, Jr., Honorable Circuit Clerk of Limestone County, Leonard v. Griggs, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jackson County, J.T. Newton, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Franklin County, James O. Garrard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marion County, W.F. Bailey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Winston County, Robert G. Bates, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cullman County, Michael E. Criswell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Blount County, C. Phillip Bowling, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Colbert County, Kenneth C. Austin, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lauderdale County, W. Larry Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lawrence County, Cleo D. Teague, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Morgan County Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A federal court intervened in a close Alabama election, finding a state court’s order to count previously invalid absentee ballots raised a federal due process claim. The court halted the count and certified the underlying state law question to the Alabama Supreme Court.
Legal Significance: Establishes that a post-election, retroactive change in ballot-counting rules can constitute “patent and fundamental unfairness” under the Due Process Clause, justifying federal court intervention. It also exemplifies certification as a form of abstention to resolve unsettled state law issues underlying a federal constitutional claim.
Larry Roe, Perry O. Hooper, Sr., James D. Martin v. State of Alabama, by and Through Its Attorney General James Evans, James Bennett, Honorable Alabama Secretary of State, John W. Davis, a Representative of a Class of Persons Who Have Sought to Have Their Ballots Counted in an Action in the Circuit Court of Coosa County, Alabama, Mobile County Appointing Board, Lionel W. Noonan, Wilcox County Appointing Board, Jerry Boggan, O.P. Woodruff, Honorable Probate Judge of Lowndes County, Willie Vaughner, Honorable Sheriff of Lowndes County, Elsie Davis, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lowndes County, W.A. Kynard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dallas County, Mary C. Moore, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Perry County, Curtis J. Elzie, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Bullock County, David S. Nix, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Barbour County, Devon Kiker, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Russell County, Eddie D. Mallard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of MacOn County, Debra P. Hackett, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Montgomery County, Barbara Craft, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Calhoun County, Polly Conradi, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Billy S. Yates, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Etowah County, Earl Carter, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Bessemer Division, Carolyn M. Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cherokee County, Jean Browning, Honorable Circuit Clerk of St. Clair County, Samuel L. Grice, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Talladega County, Jackie Calhoun, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Baldwin County, Jackie B. Howard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Washington County, Susan F. Wilson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Mobile County, Donald R. Gibson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Choctaw County, Wayne Brunson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Clarke County, John Sawyer, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Monroe County, James D. Taylor, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Escambia County, Brenda M. Peacock, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Pike County, Ann W. Tate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Crenshaw County, Bobby T. Branum, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Butler County, Jean E. Riley, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Conecuh County, Julia L. Trant, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Houston County, Jim Ellis, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Coffee County, Roger A. Powell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Covington County, Connie Burdeshaw, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Henry County, Willie Powell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Wilcox County, Veleria Thomley, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Geneva County, Bettye B. Garrett, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dale County, Vinita B. Thompson, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Walker County, James E. Renfroe, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Fayette County, Carl F. Woods, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lamar County, Seyaine Sealy, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marengo County, Jack T. Pate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Pickens County, Johnnie Knott, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Greene County, Carole Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Sumter County, Betty Gayle Pate, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Hale County, Kim S. Benefield, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Randolph County, Frank Lucas, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Tallapoosa County, Fred Posey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Autauga County, Horace D. Perry, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cleburne County, Robert Giddens, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Clay County, Phyllis Cumbee, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Chambers County, Earl Sayers, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Elmore County, Dan Reeves, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Shelby County, Doris T. Turner, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Tuscaloosa County, Mike Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Chilton County, Gerald D. Parker, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Coosa County, R.L. Foster, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Bibb County, Billy D. Harbin, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Madison County, Jimmy Lindsey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Dekalb County, Jean Albert Scott, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marshall County, Charles Page, Jr., Honorable Circuit Clerk of Limestone County, Leonard v. Griggs, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Jackson County, J.T. Newton, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Franklin County, James O. Garrard, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Marion County, W.F. Bailey, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Winston County, Robert G. Bates, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Cullman County, Michael E. Criswell, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Blount County, C. Phillip Bowling, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Colbert County, Kenneth C. Austin, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lauderdale County, W. Larry Smith, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Lawrence County, Cleo D. Teague, Honorable Circuit Clerk of Morgan County Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Following a close 1994 general election for Alabama’s Chief Justice and Treasurer, a state circuit court ordered election officials to count absentee ballots that failed to comply with a clear state statute requiring either notarization or the signatures of two witnesses (Ala. Code § 17-10-7). This order reversed the long-standing statewide practice of rejecting such ballots. The Republican candidates for the contested offices, along with a voter, filed suit in federal district court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. They alleged that the state court’s post-election change in rules violated their Fourteenth Amendment due process rights by diluting valid votes and fundamentally altering the election’s ground rules after it had concluded. The federal district court granted a preliminary injunction, prohibiting officials from counting the contested ballots and complying with the state court order. The state officials appealed, raising jurisdictional, constitutional, and abstention arguments.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Did the district court have subject matter jurisdiction to enjoin state election officials from complying with a state court order that retroactively changed ballot-counting rules, and if so, should it have abstained from exercising that jurisdiction?
Yes. The court held that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine did not apply because Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Did the district court have subject matter jurisdiction to enjoin state election officials from complying with a state court order that retroactively changed ballot-counting rules, and if so, should it have abstained from exercising that jurisdiction?
Conclusion
The case is a significant precedent on the limits of federal court Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco l
Legal Rule
A federal court has subject matter jurisdiction over a § 1983 claim Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in volupt
Legal Analysis
The Eleventh Circuit first addressed the jurisdictional challenge, concluding the Rooker-Feldman doctrine Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. D
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A post-election change in rules for counting absentee ballots that departs