No Decision Yet On Natacha Seijas' Suit To Block Recall
MIAMI (CBS4) - Escorted by two officers and a bodyguard, embattled Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natascha Seijas left a court hearing late Tuesday afternoon without knowing whether she's won her legal challenge to the attempts to recall her.
This is the second lawsuit Seijas has filed trying to get her name removed from the ballot for the upcoming recall election.
Her attorney argues that the petitions are not valid because of flaws in the gathering of the petition signatures.
Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin signed off on the petitions and called for the election.
He testified today that he can't speak for every single signature personally but says the process was legitimate.
"Clerk Ruvin is a fine public servant, the people of District 13 invested in Clerk Ruvin the responsibility to do it right, he did it right, now all we're waiting for is the judge to say let this distraction end," said Ruvin's attorney Ben Kuehne.
As stated in the lawsuit, Seijas' lawyers asked that the petitions be re-canvassed and re-certified. signature by signature.
The judge has not yet said whether she will require that. It also up to the judge will decide whether to dismiss the lawsuits, grant Seijas' motion, or call more hearings. She will issue a written ruling sometime in the next three days.
Seijas is not alone in her recall fight. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez has also filed a lawsuit to block the March 15th recall election.
Alvarez alleges that some of those who circulated petitions were paid in violation of Florida law; other complaints are that the petitions are rife with sloppy or misplaced notary signatures.
