Judge: Deadline Stands; Harris Walking on Eggshells
Jack Thompson
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000 1:08 PM
Leon County Judge Terry Lewis has denied the Gore campaign's request for a temporary restraining order. In doing so, he has allowed Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris' deadline of 5 p.m. today to stand.
However, the wording of the Judge's ruling in telling Harris she may proceed, even to the point of disallowing any vote returns submitted late, says that she may do so but not in an "arbitrary" fashion. She must decide considering "all appropriate facts and circumstaces." This wiggle room in the ruling is large enough for the Gore legal team to drive a truck through.
In fact, the Gore campaign is driving that truck right across the street for an appeal. Gore's lawyers have just announced that they are taking an immediate appeal of this order to the Florida State Supreme Court, which is extremely liberal – chocked full of justices appointed by Florida's Democrat governors.
This ruling temporarily and slightly favors the Bush team, as it says to Harris: Do what you want to do by 5 p.m. today, but know that everything you do will be reviewed by a court of law.
Judge Lewis has basically 'punted' in this decision and kicked it up to the Florida Supreme Court.
Bush is not out of the woods around Tallahassee yet.
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