Judge Nixes GOP Request on Gov. Challenge

UPDATED - Thursday January 20, 2005 3:49pm from our sister station WJLA-TV

http://www.wjla.com/headlines/0105/201614.html

WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) - A judge refused Thursday to speed up the Republican challenge to the bitterly disputed Washington governor's election, handing a small victory to Democrats.

Chelan County Superior Court Judge John E. Bridges ruled that the case would go forward, but not on the expedited schedule proposed by Republicans.

"The old maxim that justice delayed is justice denied has a corollary: Justice hurried is justice denied," Bridges said.

But in a plus for the GOP, the judge also denied a request by Democrats to delay "discovery" - the gathering of evidence - until the court considers the underlying constitutional issues in the dispute.

Neither Rossi nor Gregoire attended. Gregoire remained in Olympia, working to establish her authority as governor. Rossi traveled to Washington, D.C., for President Bush's inauguration. No matter what Bridges eventually rules, the case will likely be appealed.

The Republicans want to question election officials under oath and investigate voter records. Bridges heard from a number of attorneys for different counties that the Republicans' requests were too burdensome, especially for small counties that don't have the resources to produce all the information requested.

After Nov. 2 it appeared that Rossi, a former state senator and real estate agent, had come from behind to beat Gregoire, a three-term attorney general, by 261 votes.

His margin shrank to 42 votes after a machine recount. Finally, the hand recount of 2.9 million ballots made Gregoire the 129-vote winner.

Outside the hearing, a small number of demonstrators gathered. Some carried "Rossi Revote" signs. Another had the message, "GOP Repent. God Hates Hypocrisy."

Arlene Jones, 76, arrived early with two friends to get seats, hoping for a revote that would oust Gregoire.

"She should not be in that governor's mansion right now until we have figured this out and that's why we're here, to figure this out," she said.

Wash. GOP Files Governor's Race Challenge
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ington_governor
Sun Jan 23, 9:29 AM ET

By MELANTHIA MITCHELL, Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE - The state's Republicans, still pressing their court challenge to the disputed governor's election, have filed a separate challenge with the state Legislature.

"We did this to cover all our bases," said Mary Lane, a spokeswoman for Dino Rossi, the Republican who narrowly won the original vote count and a mandatory recount. In a hand recount, he lost to Democrat Christine Gregoire by 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast.


Gregoire was sworn into office Jan. 12.


Republicans have filed a legal challenge against the hand recount in Chelan County Superior Court, saying mistakes were made and calling for another statewide vote. That same challenge was filed with the Legislature Friday evening, "as an insurance policy," Lane said Saturday.


The challenge, however, goes to the Democrat-controlled Legislature, which certified the election Jan. 11 despite a GOP request for a two-week delay.


State Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Brost said the move indicated Republicans are afraid they won't win in court.


"The Republicans are in a hopeless situation," Brost said. "What we have seen in the last couple weeks is them floundering and grasping at straws trying to find some way to undo the election results."


The next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4, when several counties and Democrats present motions to dismiss the case.


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