aled ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁which ▁granted ▁cert ior ari ; ▁the ▁Court ▁heard ▁or al ▁arguments ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Op in ion ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁Justice ▁White ▁wrote ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁Court . ▁ ▁The ▁Court ▁aff ir med ▁and ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁elections ▁viol ated ▁the ▁African - American ▁citizens ' ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment ▁rights ▁because ▁it ▁dil uted ▁their ▁voting ▁power ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁maintained ▁for ▁inv id ious ▁purposes . ▁The ▁Court ▁aff ir med ▁the ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁court , ▁which ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁county ' s ▁at - large ▁system ▁of ▁elections ▁viol ated ▁the ▁constitution al ▁rights ▁of ▁its ▁African - American ▁citizens . ▁The ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁elections ▁dil uted ▁app elle es ' ▁voting ▁power ▁and ▁ex cluded ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁election ▁process . ▁ ▁The ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁lower ▁court ' s ▁determ ination ▁was ▁not ▁clearly ▁err one ous . ▁The ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁sufficient ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁a ▁finding ▁that ▁the ▁African - American ▁citizens ▁had ▁been ▁inv id iously ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁the ▁political ▁process ▁by ▁the ▁county ' s ▁system ▁of ▁elections . ▁The ▁Court ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁she er ▁ge ographic ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁African - American ▁citizens ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁pol ling ▁places ▁or ▁to ▁campaign ▁for ▁office . ▁The ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁elections ▁system