Connor v. Williams, 404 U.S. 549 (1972)

Connor v. Williams

No. 71-221

Decided January 24, 1972
404 U.S. 549

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATE DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI

Syllabus

Appellants challenge a federal court-ordered reapportionment plan for the 1971 elections of Mississippi state legislators, which permitted a total variance of approximately 19% between the largest and smallest House and Senate districts. The court plan also provided for temporary multi-member districts to fill about one-fifth of the seats in 1971, but ordered the appointment of a Special Master in January, 1972, to determine the feasibility of dividing these into equal-population districts for the 1975 and 1979 elections.

Held:

1. Even if it be assumed that congressional redistricting decisions of this Court, which appellants rely on, are controlling here, it does not follow that the 1971 elections should be invalidated, and, in the circumstances of this case, those elections will not be disturbed.

2. Further consideration is inappropriate until completion of the proceedings to consider creation of single-member districts.

330 F.Supp. 506, vacated in part, and remanded.