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September 26, 2007
How many lawsuits does it take to change a city council member?
It was rumored that all, or almost all, of the Council members were against her. It turned out that one was absent, and last night's vote was 7-1, so that's as close as it comes. They looked at the evidence and voted to file suit. (1)
But wait — isn't there litigation already in motion? When City Attorney Randy Nelson announced his findings yesterday morning, he filed for the city in Chancery Court. (2)
A short time later, Marti Rutherford's attorney, John Anderson, filed on her behalf in Circuit Court. This suit is pleading to have her case heard by a jury instead. (3)
And don't forget that Stuart James is representing District 6 residents who wish to sue, but it's a little unclear to me now exactly for what. (4±)
It's baffling that it takes so many courts and lawyers to decide such a relatively simple matter. I think the measures that follow the City Council's action are sufficient. That said, I recognize that City Attorney Nelson followed the law. I believe that the Council could have preempted some of this, though. If they knew she was living outside her district, and it's hard to believe that a majority of them didn't, they could have taken care of the matter already.
But that way, the several citizen groups and individuals would not have gotten the credit for starting it, so I'm taking that as a silver lining in the way events have transpired.
See also: Alice
Government | By joe lance | 10:16 PM