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Recall Challenge Delayed By Friendly Judge

A court hearing in the effort to recall Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez hit a snag Friday, when the judge in the case offered to let both sides challenging his fitness to hear the case, because he apparently knows most of the parties involved.

The hearing dealt with efforts to toss out more than 112 thousand signatures on petitions to asking the county to give voters the chance to toss Alvarez out of office. Alvarez has challenged them because a letter certifying the petitions valid was signed by a deputy clerk, instead of Clerk Harvey Ruvin.

Alvarez claims that violates the county charter; Ruvin said he reviewed and approved the petition, and the deputy clerk simply signed a courtesy letter for him.

Judge Israel Reyes was assigned to handle the case, but when proceedings started Friday he looked around the courtroom, and raised the possibility he might have the appearance of a conflict.

Reyes did not recuse himself from the case, but have both parties until Monday to decide if either wants to ask for a new judge.

If nobody asks Reyes to step down, the case is not set for next Friday.

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