the virginia naacp filed suit in federal court in 1956 against the attorney general of virginia to have the five barratry, champerty, and maintenance laws thrown out as an unconstitutional infringement of the 1st amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. in 1957, virginians elected albertis s. harrison, jr. attorney general, so he was the named defendant when the three judge panel of the u.s. district court of the eastern district of virginia issued its decision in "naacp v. harrison", the panel agreed that three of the laws were unconstitutional, but reserved judgment on the other two laws pending interpretation by state courts (which had not yet ruled on the laws' legality).