PETITIONER:
L. A. Nixon
RESPONDENT:
C. C. Herndon, et al.
LOCATION:
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
DOCKET NO.: 117
DECIDED BY: Taft Court (1925-1930)
LOWER COURT:
ARGUED: Jan 04, 1927
DECIDED: Mar 07, 1927
ADVOCATES:
Fred C. Knollenberg - for the petitioner
A.B. Spingarm - for the petitioner
Nixon v. Herndon
Facts of the case
The plaintiff, L.A. Nixon, was an African American citizen of the United States and Texas who lived in El Paso. He was a registered Democratic voter and on July 26, 1924, Nixon attempted to vote in a primary election. Based on a Texas statute passed in May 1923 that prevented African Americans from voting, Nixon was unable to vote. He sued the Judges of Election and argued that the statute violated his Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment rights. The defendants motioned for dismissal by arguing that the subject matter of the case was political and therefore did not fall within the jurisdiction of the court. The court granted the motion to dismiss.
Question
Was the suit properly dismissed for lack of jurisdiction?
