Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Laurie Dobson Fights On. This Fight Is Not Over! I Applaud Anyone Who Is Willing To Fight This Hard….(5 Stars) (Ed.)
Posted by ed. dickau at 8:01 AM
Laurie Dobson Fights On. This Fight Is Not Over!
I Applaud Anyone
Who Is Willing
To Fight This Hard….
(5 Stars) (Ed.)
PRESS RELEASE
Today, Laurie Dobson and five co-Plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for an injunction and temporary restraining order to keep the Secretary of State from finalizing the November 4, 2008 election ballots until the Court can rule on the Plaintiffs’ claim that their constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments have been violated by the Secretary of State’s refusal to place Dobson’s name on the ballot.
Ms. Dobson collected over 5,000 signatures on nomination petitions and submitted them to the municipal registrars as required before 5:00 pm on May 27, 2008. Several municipal registrars delayed returning the petitions to Dobson until after the deadline for filing with the Secretary of State and the Secretary has refused to accept them. The Secretary admits that 3,840 signatures were received by the filing deadline and another 239 validated signatures were received within the next several days. In order to have her name placed on the ballot Dobson was required to file 4,000 validated signatures to the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State maintains that the municipal registrars are not required to verify signatures and return the petitions to the candidate in time for them to be filed with the Secretary. Dobson feels this is a clear violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to political expression and association, petition for redress of grievances and to vote.
The situation is similar to the case of Anderson v. Quinn where the Secretary’s actions in keeping former presidential candidate John Anderson’s name off the ballot were found to be unconstitutional.
Dobson's lawsuit includes five co-plaintiffs, one of whom, Dobson contends, was unlawfully rejected as a signatory. "We are challenging the decision by the Secretary of State to refuse to accept our signatures, including those which were returned late by some towns, even though we sent them to clerks in a timely manner, as required. As a result, we were unlawfully deprived of ballot placement," said Dobson.
"I continue to fight for the right to be on the ballot. I expect the courts to provide justice and reverse the entrenched prejudice against independent non-party candidates."
For information, call Dobson's legal counsel: 1-207-837-6155, Attorney Jon Languet.
1-207-604-8988
Languet Law, LLCBorder Trust Business Center2 Main St.Topsham, ME 04086
Phone 207-837-6155
Fax 207-837-6156
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