Chandler v. Miller

520 U.S. 305 (1997)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

A Georgia statute requires that candidates who wish to be nominated or elected for certain state offices submit to a urinalysis test for certain types of drugs and certify that they pass that test. To qualify for a place on the ballot, a candidate must present a certificate from a state-approved laboratory, in a form approved by the Secretary of State, reporting that the candidate submitted to a urinalysis drug test within 30 days prior to qualifying for nomination or election and that the results were negative. Petitioners were Libertarian Party nominees in 1994 for state offices subject to the requirements. Chandler (P) sued the Governor of Georgia, Miller (D), demanding that the statute be declared unconstitutional and an injunction that would bar enforcement of the statute. The District Court denied Ps' motion for a preliminary injunction. Stressing the importance of the state offices sought and the relative unintrusiveness of the testing procedure, the court found it unlikely that P would prevail on the merits of their claims. Ps apparently submitted to the drug tests, obtained the certificates required by § 21-2-140, and appeared on the ballot. After the 1994 election, the parties jointly moved for the entry of final judgment on stipulated facts. In January 1995, the District Court entered final judgment for D. A divided Eleventh Circuit panel affirmed. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.