OT: Hopefully the U.S. Supreme Court's decision will put the fear of God in the Florida Supreme Court and make them less likely to go beyond their authority when they hear Gore's appeal of judge Saul's verdict. Kodiak, with the two decisions today, how do you judge Gore's chances of winning any appeals?
Judge Refuses to Order Recounts
Monday, December 4, 2000
A Florida judge refused Monday to order a manual recount of thousands of South Florida ballots and their inclusion in the certified results of the state's presidential election.
There was "no credible statistical evidence" that results from a recount would alter the outcome of the elections, Leon County Circuit Court Judge N. Sanders Sauls ruled from a courtroom in Tallahassee, Fla.
Sauls also found "no proof of illegality, dishonesty, gross negligence, improper influence or fraud" in the ballot counting process, and he said that Florida law did not allow counties to submit results after the statewide deadline.
And while Al Gore's lawyers demonstrated "voter error" in the elections process, Sauls ruled, that was not enough to justify a manual recount.
Gore asked for a ruling overturning George W. Bush's certified victory in Florida, and to order a manual recount of an estimated 14,000 ballots in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. The vice president's legal team also sought to change the official vote certification in Nassau County, although only 51 votes were involved there.
The Bush team argued there was no reason for the recount, and said the Texas governor had been certified properly, on the basis of tallies submitted by the canvassing boards in all 67 Florida counties.
Gore attorney David Boies immediately announced he would appeal to the state Supreme Court, but the decision helps cement Bush's 537-vote lead over Gore, who has been fighting a bitter legal and public relations battle to get the ballots counted and certified in the hope that they could help him capture the Sunshine State's 25 electoral votes, and the presidency.
Sauls' ruling was the second blow of the day for Gore. Just before noon, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside the Florida Supreme Court's Nov. 21 decision, which allowed an extension of the statutory deadline for vote tallies to be included in the state's certified results. |
