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Miami Federal Court Hearing Set for Thursday in ACLU Lawsuit Challenging
Illegal Voting Methods in Town of Manalapan
February 20, 2002
MIAMI ? At a federal court hearing scheduled for Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida will ask U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz to postpone upcoming elections in the Town of Manalapan until voting districts in the small Palm Beach County municipality are re-drawn to ensure equal representation for all of the town's voters.
ACLU attorneys will argue that the current method of electing commissioners dilutes residents' voting strength in violation of the "one-person, one vote" principle that guarantees fair elections. ACLU attorneys will be urging the court to postpone the March 5th Town Commission elections until voting districts are re-drawn to ensure that all registered voters are equally distributed ? and thus equally represented ? in the Town's three voting districts.
The lawsuit, Basil Diamond et al. v. Town of Manalapan, was filed on Jan. 25th on behalf of a group of Manalapan residents who live in "The Point" neighborhood. Named plaintiffs include Basil Diamond, Peter Lamelas, Kelly Gottlieb and Elaine Darwin.
Who: Attorneys: Cooperating Attorneys for the ACLU of Florida James K. Green and Glen J. Torcivia, ACLU of Florida Legal Director Randall Marshall; Individual Plaintiffs, and Attorneys representing the Town of Manalapan.
What: Federal Court Hearing in the case Basil Diamond et al. v. Town of Manalapan
When: Thursday, February 21, 2002, at 8:30 a.m. E.S.T.
Where: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 301 North Miami Avenue,6th Floor Courtroom, Miami, Florida
Why: Hearing on preliminary injunction to postpone the March 5th Town Commission elections until voting districts are re-drawn to ensure that all registered voters are equally distributed ? and thus equally represented ? in the Town's three voting districts.
Contact:
Miami: Alessandra Soler, ACLU of Florida, (305) 576-2337, ext. 16
West Palm Beach: James Green, ACLU Cooperating Attorney, at (561) 659-2029 or Glen J. Torcivia, ACLU Cooperating Attorney, at (561) 686-8700
