Posted on 01/18/2006 7:21:57 PM PST by OrangeDaisy
NASHVILLE – A federal court judge in Memphis late Wednesday blocked a planned Senate vote Thursday to overturn the Senate District 29 election and expel Sen. Ophelia Ford.
After a 50-minute hearing, U.S. Dist. Court Judge Bernice Donald issued a temporary restraining order barring the state Senate from taking any action to overturn the Sept. 15 special election that Ford won by 13 votes. She set a full hearing for Jan. 25.
The Senate was all but certain to vote Thursday morning to void the election and remove Ford from the District 29 seat. Acting as a "committee of the whole," the chamber had voted 17-14 Tuesday night to vacate the election because of illegal voting and other activity.
"Obviously because there is a restraining order we will not be moving forward," Senate Republican Leader Ron Ramsey said Wednesday. "Obviously I’m disappointed but upon advice of my counsel that’s all I can say at this time."
Ford’s lawyers filed a suit challenging the planned Senate vote Wednesday afternoon.
....the 'guy'is named Bernice
How can a judge bar a senate? Is this a dictatorship or what?
Article II, Section 15 (a) says "...a successor shall be elected by the qualified voters of the district represented..."
From what I understand many of the "voters" has passed on before election day.
WTF ?!? The Frauds are using their political muscle via federal stooges-in-robes to retain an illegally-gotten Senator and INTERFERE with State Senate business. This is utterly outrageous !
Well 'his' last name is Donald. I'm either from Missouri (yous guys) or easily confused!
Tennessee State Constitution
This PIG in a robe is a Clintoon appointee. Surprise, surprise.
Can anyone explain what the federal cause of action here is? What part of the federal constitution deals with the election of state senators?
Can somebody show me in the constitution where a Federal Judge has a say in this?
That is not obvious at all. This is neither a federal nor a judicial matter. Legislators do not AFAIK need judicial permission to expel a member, which is an internal matter of theirs. I recognize that defying a judicial order is a serious matter, but a legislature interested in protecting its turf might argue that issuing such an order is a serious matter.
Disturbing on both federalism and separation-of-powers grounds.
Does this set precedent? I don't think I've ever heard anything like this before.
I really appreciate your # 8. wouldn't you know it would be a Clinton judge in the thick of things.
Harold Ford, Jr was on Imus this morning, advising President Bush on Iran, Iraq. Now that he's a candidate for the Senate, he's an expert, dontcha know. Imus has never mentioned Ford family corruption, he's sooo in love with the slick and smooth Harold, jr.
Imus LOVES Ford, and would never ask about the Ford Mafia Family of Memphis. Aunt Ophelia ran for this Tenn seat replacing Harold's uncle who had to resign because he's indicted for, (I think) fraud and theft.
The family is corrupt to the core, but they own Memphis. Time will tell if the state of Tennessee is willing to promote Harold to the Senate knowing he's a chip off the family block.
Not in the legal sense; it's not a verdict but simply a restraining order, and it's not from an appellate court. But politically, it probably does. It would be interesting to explore how much judges have done this.
Other Freepers may know better, but it looks like that is the controlling Federal law.
Yes, yes. I can see the Supreme Court becoming involved in matters concerning Federal representatives, but how in the hell does a Federal judge have the authority over a State legislative body with an issue concerning a Tennessee state representative?
Between last summer's arrest of state legislators, the mess at our highway patrol and this latest in a long series of Ford family crap, it's lookin' might embarassing for us here in Tennessee.
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