High Court Will Hear Mayoral Election Case

Legal News Center

[##_1L|1311613480.jpg|width="130" height="98" alt=""|_##]The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments Monday on whether Tuesday's mayoral election in Bridgeport should be postponed. Bridgeport state Rep. Christopher Caruso requested the delay after losing the Democratic mayoral primary to state Sen. Bill Finch in September. Caruso contends that voting irregularities tainted that election, which he lost to Finch by 270 votes out of 9,000 ballots cast.

The high court will hear arguments from both sides in a two-hour session Monday morning.

The court also has approved Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz's request to speak to the justices about the veracity of the primary vote.

Caruso says Bridgeport election officials improperly stopped some voters from casting ballots and directed others to vote for Finch. A Superior Court judge dismissed Caruso's lawsuit last month challenging the results.

"There was organized chaos on Election Day that led to an unfair and dishonest election and placed in question the integrity of the election," Caruso said Friday.

Caruso said his attorney will argue that more than 20 election laws were violated and that the trial judge erred when he blocked them from presenting that information.

He also questioned whether Bysiewicz was intervening largely to defend the reputation of the optical-scan voting machines used in the primary election because she has been a strong advocate of that new technology.

"By intervening like she is, she is condoning the illegal activity of an election official, and frankly every citizen should be appalled," Caruso said.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's office will represent Bysiewicz, a fact that Caruso said was questionable because Blumenthal has endorsed Finch's mayoral campaign.

Bysiewicz said Friday that her office is unaware of any court delaying a general election in recent memory and that she worries about voter turnout for other city races if the mayoral election is delayed. "The mayor candidates are the ones that drive the turnout," she said.

She also said Superior Court Judge John Blawie's decision to reject Caruso's earlier suit was "very, very clear that no evidence was presented that any voter would have voted differently or was influenced."

Associated Press writer Donna Tommelleo in Hartford contributed to this report.

Related listings

  • Court asks if porn law covers mainstream films

    Court asks if porn law covers mainstream films

    Legal News Center 10/31/2007

    Several U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed doubt on Tuesday that a law barring child pornography could be applied to popular award-winning movies like "Lolita," "Traffic," American Beauty" and "Titanic."The justices appeared to support the panderi...

  • Black Lawyers Rare at Supreme Court

    Black Lawyers Rare at Supreme Court

    Legal News Center 10/29/2007

    [##_1L|1236265387.jpg|width="131" height="91" alt=""|_##]Coming soon to the Supreme Court: a rare appearance by a black lawyer. More than a year has passed since a black lawyer in private practice stood at the lectern in the elegant courtroom and spo...

  • State, IRS form alliance on insurance taxes

    State, IRS form alliance on insurance taxes

    Legal News Center 10/23/2007

    Rhode Island plans to use information from the Internal Revenue Service to track down employers who are failing to properly pay state unemployment insurance taxes.The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training has signed an agreement with the IRS ...

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. .

Business News

St Peters, MO Professional License Attorney Attorney John Lynch has been the go-to choice for many professionals facing administrative sanction. >> read