Judge to Rule Monday on Washington Governor

[No Michael Savage]

Judge to Rule Monday on Washington Governor
The Associated Press
Rebecca Cook
06/04/05

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The political fate of Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire hangs in the balance this weekend while a small-town judge decides whether her paper-thin victory was valid.

During two weeks of trial, Republicans argued election errors, illegal votes and fraud stole the election from GOP candidate Dino Rossi. Democrats countered that the errors were innocent mistakes and said Republicans lacked enough evidence to justify tossing a governor out of office.

Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges will announce his decision Monday.

The stakes could not be higher for Gregoire, who has pursued her agenda in the Capitol as if she'd won by a landslide.

Rossi may be even more desperate for a resolution. Once a rising GOP star, Rossi has been in a bizarre political limbo the past seven months after winning the first two counts in the governor's election only to lose a final, hand recount by 129 votes — the smallest percentage margin of any governor's race in U.S. history.

If Rossi gets his way with Bridges and the state Supreme Court, he'll meet Gregoire in a rematch election this fall.

Throughout the trial, both sides stressed the momentous nature of Bridges' task.

"This is a historic moment," Republican attorney Dale Foreman said in his opening statement. He said the judge has "a historic opportunity to do justice and to restore the people's faith in our election system."

In her closing argument, Democratic attorney Jenny Durkan said Republicans failed to meet the "clear and convincing" standard of proof for overturning an election.

"They're asking this court to throw out legal votes by people cast in the most important election in our lifetime," Durkan said. "This court may be setting the rules and the roadmap for election contests throughout the state for the future."

Bridges allowed almost every piece of evidence both parties wanted to submit, explaining that he wanted to create the fullest possible record for the state Supreme Court. "I've enjoyed having you folks in front of me immensely," he told the 10 attorneys on the case, "but I don't want to see any of you again."

Bridges, who handles everything from divorces to murder cases, enjoys a sterling reputation in Chelan County and beyond. Both sides say he's fair, and no one has been able to guess his politics. Though he clearly took the trial seriously, Bridges frequently teased attorneys and made self-deprecating quips.

"I would run from your class like the wind," he told one expert witness after a long day of testimony on election statistics.

On Friday, he thanked his staff and the attorneys in the case. "This is pretty outstanding legal work and I congratulate counsel," Bridges said. "I say this today because I know nobody wants to listen to me on Monday morning."

The election challenge unfolded quietly in this central Washington town. Except for the first and last days, most of the seats in the auditorium-turned-courthouse went unfilled.

Rossi supporter Bill Stokes, 67, attended every day of the trial and the pretrial hearings.

"Now that I'm retired I have altogether too much time on my hands," he explained. He said the most important part of the trial was "shining a light on a bad problem" — the problem of election errors.

His focus mirrors the shift on conservative Web logs and radio shows, where election talk has drifted from the demand for a "Rossi revote" to the more complicated task of cleaning up election problems in the Democratic stronghold of King County.

Neither Gregoire nor Rossi attended any of the trial.

Gregoire said she was doing her best to run the state and ignore the trial. But her name was present every day — written in cursive script on a poster-sized copy of the election certification, displayed in a corner of the courtroom.

"This is to Certify, That in the General Election held in the State of Washington on November 2, 2004, Christine Gregoire received the highest number of votes for the office of Governor."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050604/ap_on_el_gu/election_challenge

[Call me Deacon Blues]

1. I'm not from Washington, so what do I know . . .

but it sounds to me like Judge John Bridges would be the best choice for governor, whatever his party!

[Verve]

2. You may want to post re-post this in 2004 Election Results and Discussion

Many people who post in that forum would be interested in this article. (They may not see it in Politics, as many are immersed in election reform info.) :hi:

[No Michael Savage]

3. Shoot

Sorry for that. That was a newbie mistake.

[babylonsister]

6. Hey, NMS,

welcome to DU! :hi:

[Verve]

7. No Problem!

It's a great article! I just wanted you to get the coverage you deserve.

Welcome to DU!

BTW, Monday will sure be interesting! I haven't been following the Washington election chaos that closely so I don't know what the Republican evidence for fraud was? Is it solid or not? I sure hope not!

However,I'm sure some people in the 2004 Election Results and Discussion Forum have been following this issue closely. The main consensus in there is election reform needs to take place. So, it becomes a Catch 22. If this judge acknowledges that our elections are messed up, it may open up doors for other states and possibly the presidential election. Yet, at the expense of Gregoire. If the judge rules in Gregoire's favor, judges in other states may not take these discrepancies seriously.

However, I'm hoping that Rossi's charges are so outlandish that he becomes an embarrassment in that state after Monday.

[No Michael Savage]

8. Well...

It doesn't matter who wins, either way it will be appealed to the Washington state supreme court, who will get the final say.

[Verve]

10. So true!

A lawyer's work is never done!

[farmbo]

4. Meanwhile, here in Ohio...

A legal election challenge to Bush's election was dismissed without a single hearing;

No public official was required to give even a statement under oath or otherwise regarding the accuracy of the election results;

In Hocking and dozens of other Ohio counties, Triad computer technicians illegally "repaired" or swapped drives on tabulation computers between the posting of the official results and the recount;

The whistle blower who disclosed the illegal tampering was herself fired;

Touchscreen machines in Mahoning County which were consistently 'flipping' votes from Kerry to Bush, went unexamined by independent technicians;

The GOP Board of Elections chairman in Warren County called a demonstrably fake FBI "terror alert" and used it as a pretext to kick out Democratic observers and the press from his late-night vote counting... which provided Bush with his greatest "margin of victory" in the state;

Lawyers who filed the election challenge were sanctioned, albeit unsuccessfully, by the state attorney general.

$12 million dollars from the state's Worker's Comp fund were "misplaced" by Bush's NW Ohio coordinator,--a Bush Ranger.

[bunny planet]

5. and don't forget the Democratic Headquarters in Lucas County

(Noe's county, of Coingate infamy) were broken into shortly before the election and 3 computers with highly sensitive information were stolen.
Now in the light of Watergate being in the news, I think that story deserves to be revisited.

[farmbo]

9. Wanna bet that Ohio's taxpayers and injured workers paid for that breakin?

It now appears that Noe had $12 million in taxpayer funds to spread around during the Bush campaign.

:grr:

[Moderator]

11. No Michael Savage

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[Darkamber]

12. This decision will not be the end of course...

Whatever happens Monday the issue will go to the Supreme Court and wait for that trial. Then if it is decided in favor of Rossi, nothing can be done until there is a new election...

Talk about a financial waste. The Repubs are whining about taxes on Cigarettes and liquor and how that is breaking them but they are willing to pay how much for a new election?

Meanwhile until there is a new Election, Gregoire will remain the Governor no matter what the Judges decisions are.