Extend or end? Minn. Senate race up to high court
Legal News Center
In an hour of rapid-fire questions over Minnesota's disputed Senate election, the state's highest court focused on whether vote-counting flaws alleged by Republican Norm Coleman were severe enough to deny Democrat Al Franken the win.
Barely a minute into oral arguments, justices challenged Coleman's attorneys on the adequacy of evidence they presented in an election trial and the legality of their suggested remedy: that more ballots be counted even if some absentee voters didn't fully comply with the law.
"It's possible there are statutory violations which do not rise to the level of constitutional violation," Justice Alan Page said, alluding to a threshold appeals courts often turn to before reversing a lower-court decision.
The state Supreme Court justices can confirm Franken as the victor or reopen the count as Coleman wants.
Franken hopes the court orders that he immediately receive the election certificate required to take office. Franken is the potential 60th vote for Democrats in the Senate, though two of those are independents.
The court's involvement is the latest but maybe not the final stop. If Coleman loses, he could file a new case in federal court or petition for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, which isn't certain to take the case. If Franken doesn't like the result, he could ask the Senate itself to weigh in.
Related listings
-
Top court to hear business-method patent case
Legal News Center 06/01/2009The Supreme Court said on Monday it would hear the Bilski patent case, which would tell high tech and software companies how far they could go in patenting software, financial strategies and other abstract processes. An appeals court which specialize...
-
Lawyer to fight extradition of US murder suspect
Legal News Center 05/28/2009The lawyer for a 26-year-old man accused of fatally shooting two young men in Georgia said Wednesday he will fight extradition because he believes his client will not receive a fair trial in the southern U.S. state. Michael Registe is accused of the ...
-
Court nominee urged special rights for Puerto Rico
Legal News Center 05/27/2009Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor wrote as a Yale Law School student that Puerto Rico should maintain its seabed rights if it pursues U.S. statehood. The article, "Statehood and the Equal Footing Doctrine: The Case for Puerto Rican Seabed Rights,...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .