(4 Dec 2000) English/Nat
The U-S Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Florida Supreme Court ruling that permitted extended hand recounts in the state’s presidential election.
The court sent the case back to Florida’s Supreme Court for further action.
The justices did not address the specific objections to the ruling raised by George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.
Instead, they said that the legal basis for the ruling was so unclear that they could not deal with the question of whether the case even belongs in the federal courts.
The decision was not signed, nor were there any dissenting opinions.
It is not clear what happens to the case now that it has been sent back to Florida’s high court.
But a judge in Tallahassee, Florida to put his decision on recounts of presidential ballots on hold – because of the U-S Supreme Court’s ruling.
Court officials said Leon County Circuit Court Judge N. Sanders Sauls needed to review the high court’s action. One impact of the latest developments could be the margin of George W. Bush’s lead in Florida.
If Sauls finds that Bush’s lead has now jumped back to 930 votes, that could make it harder for him to justify new recounts.
The law only allows recounts at this stage if a candidate can show there are enough invalid votes or uncounted votes to change the outcome of the election.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is just a status update on where we’re going, I have had a conversation with Judge Sauls and we are on hold pending our being able to determine whether the US Supreme Court decision has any effect on our proceedings. Any previously announced intent to issue a ruling around two o’clock is on hold pending this review."
SUPER CAPTION: Terre Cass, Leon County Circuit Court spokeswoman
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