If elected Saturday, how will Kema Dawson and Jamie Mayo serve alongside each other?

A judicial instruction to maintain a 250-yard distance between a Northeast Louisiana councilwoman and mayoral candidate for two years after an altercation raises concerns about their capacity to effectively serve should they be elected in the upcoming Saturday polls.

Monroe City Councilwoman Kema Dawson and mayoral candidate Jamie Mayo engaged in a heated altercation following a February 22 political forum at the Harvey H. Benoit Community Center, resulting in the filing of reciprocal temporary restraining orders.

Dawson claimed that Mayo threatened her husband with assault and accused him of twisting her wrist. However, Mayo asserted that Dawson entered his personal space, threatening him and twisting his wrist, resulting in medical attention.

Dawson is campaigning for re-election to the Monroe City Council's District 5 seat, while Mayo seeks election as mayor of Monroe. What would happen if they were elected as mayor and councilperson despite the judge's instruction to avoid each other for two years?

According to Professor Ken Levy of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, serving together would require a mutual understanding between the two parties.

"I imagine if they both got elected and they had to work together, they would either do it at a physical distance like by phone or Zoom or they would just both say, 'Today agree that we're going to enter into this informal contract to waive the TROs'," Levy said.

The presidential primary early voting period was held in early March, with polls opening on Election Day, Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: If elected, how will Dawson and Mayo serve alongside each other?