Still no word on Harris suit

While a decision was expected last week, it looks like a judge will wait until after Tuesday's Florida primary to decide whether Kathleen Harris can stay on the ballot.

Lawyers representing Harris and fellow Republican candidate John Hill speculated Friday that Judge Kevin Davey would wait to rule on Hill's lawsuit until after the election is over.

Hill's lawsuit says that Harris did not properly qualify for the ballot since Harris did not turn in a resign-to-run letter when she qualified on July 15. On Aug. 1, after learning of her mistake, Harris sent a letter to Gov. Jeb Bush saying that she had resigned as of July 15. The lawsuit also maintains Harris did not sign the proper oath required of all Florida candidates.

Waiting until after the election would give both parties ample time to file appeals before the November general election. Had the judge ruled before the primaries, the losing party would've been unable to appeal.

And the judge is probably hoping Harris loses, rendering a decision moot and sparing him from a great deal of inevitable grief, regardless of how he rules.

Posted September 07, 2002 10:39 AM | Comments (2)