Deposit Fort memperbarui gugatan terhadap Thigpen

Mengajukan pertanyaan kelayakan anggota dewan untuk kantor

Kota Fort Deposit telah memperbarui gugatan terhadap Steven Thigpen yang menuduh anggota dewan baru itu tidak memenuhi syarat untuk mencalonkan diri dalam pemilihan kota 26 Agustus.

Gugatan itu, yang diajukan di Pengadilan Sirkuit Kabupaten Lowndes 28 Agustus, meminta putusan deklaratori dan perintah terhadap Thigpen dengan alasan bahwa ia tinggal di luar batas kota Fort Deposit.

“Pada dasarnya, kami akan mencoba membawanya dari daftar pejabat terpilih sebelum bersumpah,” kata pengacara kota Fort Deposit Arlene Richardson. “Perintahnya adalah untuk menghentikan bersumpah [set for Sept. 8} until we figure this out, and the declaratory judgement is to determine whether he had a right to be a candidate on the election ballot in the first place.”

Thigpen won 469 votes, 29.4% of the total cast for the position. Also running for the seat were Yvonne Jones (i), Willa Perdue, Debby Dunklin Webb, Keith Bailey and Faye Hale Chambers.

Alabama’s Code of Law 11-43-1 (1975), cross referenced with Alabama Code 17-3-30 (1975) mandates municipal candidates must reside in the city or town for which they seek to hold office. Court records show that the town claims Thigpen’s driver license and property records prove Thigpen resides at 1475 Barganier Lane in Greenville. 

“The question is: does Steven Thigpen domicile in Fort Deposit,” Richardson said. “Or does he live in Greenville? Now, mind you, owning property in Fort Deposit is not the same thing as living there.”

The councilman did not respond to requests for a comment.

The town initially filed a similar lawsuit in July, asking the court’s opinion on three candidates — Thigpen, Bailey and Chambers — lived outside the town limits and were thus ineligible to run for a council seat. The suit was later dismissed, since Alabama law mandates the situation be addressed by the courts only if an apparently ineligible candidate is elected.

The lawsuit cites as evidence Thigpen’s driver license, property records and testimony that his employment with the Town of Fort Deposit list him as a Greenville resident.

According to Richardson, should the town’s case prevail, Circuit Judge Cleve Poole could rule in one of two ways. He may decide to order a new election. Or the judge could declare the candidate with the next highest [number] suara, Jones, harus mengambil kursi dewan.

Jawaban diharapkan menjelang 8 September bersumpah dalam upacara.