Scope and Contents Records and newspaper clippings related to the case Frank McNeil et al vs. the City of Springfield et al, known as the Springfield Voting Rights Lawsuit, heard in U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois in 1984-1987. The plaintiffs argued that Springfield's commission form of government was racially exclusive and violated the voting rights of minority residents in the city. The court ruled for the plaintiffs, resulting in the reorganization of the city's government in the...