In the year 1979, a federal lawsuit was filed by Newtown activists against the City of Sarasota. The plaintiffs were Edward James, William F. Jackson, John H. Rivers, and Sheila E. Sanders. Fred E. Soto, Mayor of Sarasota; Ron Norman, Vice-Mayor; T.J. “Tony” Saprito, Rita Roehr, and William McCullough were the defendants.
The suit sought a judgment against Sarasota’s at-large system that diluted black voting strength. The plaintiffs wanted an injunction to prevent the defendants from holding any other elections under the at-large system. They also wanted the court to order that city commissioners be elected from single-member districts.
