THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 12, 1994 TAG: 9407120373
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B6 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Short : 24 lines
The Virginia ACLU stepped ahead of the Justice Department on Monday and filed a lawsuit challenging at-large voting for the Newport News City Council.
``Although the Justice Department has recently announced that it may litigate this case if negotiations fail, that process could drag on for an indeterminate time,'' said Kent Willis, director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. ``Our suit puts Newport News in the very difficult position of finally having to respond to an issue they have avoided for years.''
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Newport News, alleges violations of the federal Voting Rights Act. by CNB