Court Blocks Coleman in Minnesota Recount
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:36 p.m. ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota's highest court on Wednesday ruled against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's attempt to keep dozens of possible double votes from Democratic-heavy precincts out of the long-running U.S. Senate recount, but left the door open for a lawsuit.
The state Supreme Court unanimously denied Coleman's request for a temporary restraining order to block the votes, which the Coleman campaign contended were duplicates that mostly favored Democratic rival Al Franken. The court upheld the state Canvassing Board's ruling on the matter.
The court's decision leaves Coleman with fewer ways to make up ground in the recount, where he now trails Franken by 47 votes. But Associate Justice Alan Page made it clear the issue of duplicate ballots was unresolved and said the court's ruling was not binding in a future lawsuit.
Coleman's attorneys, who said the campaign was ''deeply disappointed'' by the decision, added that it virtually guaranteed the recount would end in litigation and delay the seating of a Minnesota senator past Jan. 6, when the next Congress convenes.
(More here.)
Filed at 9:36 p.m. ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota's highest court on Wednesday ruled against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's attempt to keep dozens of possible double votes from Democratic-heavy precincts out of the long-running U.S. Senate recount, but left the door open for a lawsuit.
The state Supreme Court unanimously denied Coleman's request for a temporary restraining order to block the votes, which the Coleman campaign contended were duplicates that mostly favored Democratic rival Al Franken. The court upheld the state Canvassing Board's ruling on the matter.
The court's decision leaves Coleman with fewer ways to make up ground in the recount, where he now trails Franken by 47 votes. But Associate Justice Alan Page made it clear the issue of duplicate ballots was unresolved and said the court's ruling was not binding in a future lawsuit.
Coleman's attorneys, who said the campaign was ''deeply disappointed'' by the decision, added that it virtually guaranteed the recount would end in litigation and delay the seating of a Minnesota senator past Jan. 6, when the next Congress convenes.
(More here.)
Powered by Blogger
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home