Group of Citizens File Suit Contesting Wet-Dry Election

[DMS]

by Laker Country in local news on December 24, 2009

Another lawsuit has been filed regarding last month’s wet-dry election in Jamestown, this time by a group of local residents. In an action filed Wednesday in Russell Circuit Court, county residents Billy Dunbar, Rick Neff, Tony Salyers, Thomas “Ham” Skaggs and Linda Stephens seek to set aside and void last month’s election. In their lawsuit, the county residents allege that the petitions filed with the County Clerk on September 1st were fatally flawed from the beginning in that the petitions failed to allege any territory which had a legal right to vote in a local option election.
The lawsuit alleges that under Kentucky law any wet-dry election could only be held within an entire county or within an entire city, not in precincts where parts were located within the City of Jamestown and parts were located outside the city limits. Additionally, the lawsuit says City of Jamestown residents are left with “uncertainty” of whether alcohol can be sold within the city, since the voters voted against the specific question regarding alcohol sales just within the city, but voted in favor of alcohol sales within both precincts, both of which contain portions of the City of Jamestown.
The group is asking that the entire election be set aside. Named as defendants, due to their position as County Board of Election Commissioners, are Victor Hill, Daryl Robertson, Sheriff Larry Bennett and County Clerk Lisha Popplewell. Additionally, Circuit Judge Vernon Miniard was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

http://lakercountry.com/2009/12/24/grou ... -election/