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| For Immediate Release | |
| Dec 13, 2000 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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Gore Legal Team Strikes Out As U. S. Supreme Court Issues “Activist” Ruling Which Dooms Possible Recount Judicial Watch Will Continue Efforts To Uncover Voter Election Irregularities and Fraud In Order To Propose Corrections To The System JUDICIAL WATCH ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING ON RECOUNT (Washington, D.C.) Late yesterday evening, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision which doomed the quest of Vice President Al Gore for the Presidency. In reversing the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court cleverly created a “Catch-22" situation whereby its remand to the Florida Supreme Court for further proceedings to craft a nondiscriminatory recount process will be a futile and untimely act. While not terribly ingenuous, the U.S. Supreme Court nevertheless has decided this election, engaging in a bit of judicial activism itself. By suggesting that the Florida Supreme Court could have gone beyond the Florida Election Code by crafting procedures which define the “intent of the voter,” the U.S. Supreme Court would appear to be suggesting that the Florida Supreme Court could have made new law. Indeed, the Florida Supreme Court could not have made new law, and therefore the nine justices wrote an opinion which sought to please everyone on the Court, leading to an activist per curium decision. In effect, Vice President Al Gore has been tantalized by the reasoning of the Court, only to learn that any further efforts would be futile in any event, particularly given the statutory deadlines. Judicial Watch will continue with its efforts to uncover the apparent massive irregularities and voter fraud in Florida, not with the purpose of rewriting election results, but uncovering any inherent flaws in our voting system so that they can be corrected for the future. Ballot irregularities in Palm Beach County and elsewhere, where Judicial Watch did its own inspection, were discussed in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. Judicial Watch is nonpartisan and, as it takes no positions on elections, did not support or oppose either President-elect Bush or outgoing Vice President Al Gore. |
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