Appellate Court will hear legal battle over candidate filing rights in Vernon County
UPDATE
KSNF/KODE — In a late-night ruling, the Western District Court of Appeals issued an Order, staying the lower Court’s ruling that would have prevented eight candidates from appearing on the August Primary Ballot.
The Order states that the Court recognizes the deadline for the August elections and in order for the appeal not to become “moot,” it is preventing enforcement of Judge Gayle Crane’s judgment.
Briefs in the case will be due in early June. If parties request oral arguments, the Court will set a special hearing in late June.
NEVADA, Mo. — The Vernon County clerk is asking the Missouri Court of Appeals to overturn a judge’s decision that would keep some candidates from running as Republicans on the August primary ballot.
Attorneys for Vernon County Clerk Adrienne Lee filed the appeal late last week.
On May 9, in a precedent-setting case, Jasper County Judge Gayle Crane ruled in favor of the Vernon County Republican Committee, saying, the County Clerk is required to wait until the Republican Committee has accepted a candidate’s filing fee before placing that person on the ballot as a Republican.
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This case involves eight named candidates, four of which are incumbent Republican officeholders.
Because it has been less than 30 days since Judge Crane’s ruling, Lee’s attorney was required to file a motion to expedite the case.
The motion states June 11th is the deadline for listing candidates on the August primary ballot, and County Clerk, Adrienne Lee, requests the appellate court hear arguments in the case and make a ruling before that deadline.
In its response to the appeal, the Vernon County Republican Committee says the appellate court should dismiss the appeal.
The committee’s argument is that the County Clerk has no authority to spend county funds in pursuit of what it calls, obtaining political goals or taking sides, to determine what her duties are.
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No date has been set to hear arguments in the case.
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