US Election Saga Awaits New Court Rulings

Judge Nikki Clark listens to closing arguments in the Seminole County absentee ballots hearing in Leon County Court in Tallahassee, Florida December 7, 2000. Clark said she would rule 'as soon as possible' whether that county's 10,260 absentee ballots should be disqualified.

Court rulings expected on Friday could deliver a decisive blow to Democrat Al Gore in his battle for the White House, a prize still disputed after more than a month's bitter legal wrangling following the US presidential election.

The Florida Supreme Court, at the center of much of the flood of litigation spawned by the neck-and-neck finish in the state between Gore and Republican George W. Bush in the Nov. 7 election, reconvened at 8 a.m. (1300 GMT) to weigh whether or not to give the Gore camp a last chance to chase down votes through a review of disputed ballots.

The seven judges could rule some time during the day on a bid by the Gore campaign to overturn the 537-vote lead awarded Bush in the certified election result from Florida + which if it is upheld would give the Texas governor the presidency.

Gore's campaign is appealing a lower court ruling this week that rejected its bid to have about 14,000 votes out of the 6 million cast in Florida recounted, in hopes they would yield enough votes to overtake Bush's lead.

In addition to the Gore legal contest, the judge in at least one of two cases brought by independent voters that could benefit Gore by yielding thousands of votes for him was to issue his ruling on Friday.

The lawsuits, alleging irregularities with ballot applications in Martin and Seminole counties, call for a total of some 25,000 to be thrown out. If just one of the suits were successful, Gore's net gain in votes could be enough for him to win the state.

Judge Terry Lewis of Leon County Circuit Court, hearing the Martin County case, was expected to issue his ruling around noon EST (1700 GMT) on Friday, court officials said. There was no word from Judge Nikki Clark on when she would rule on the Seminole County case.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY OVER YET

But even if the rulings from those cases are both issued on Friday, they could well be appealed to the state's high court + meaning it is by no means certain the legal wrangling will conclude on Friday.

Gore attorney Ron Klain, asked on CNN's "Larry King Live" program on Thursday night if the vice president would finally give up if the high court ruled against him, replied^ "I think we're not going to lose... (but) I think the Supreme Court of Florida certainly is the final arbiter on Florida law."

Barry Richard, a senior attorney for the Bush campaign who has spent the last few days racing from court hearing to court hearing, promised fresh litigation if the state supreme court ruled in favor of further recounts.

"The nature of this case, which has moved on many fronts at light speed, is such that we have always had to prepare for every contingency. We are prepared to file appeals and briefs, not only in this case but in several others that are pending," Richard said.

"I'm sure everybody's going to appeal to every court in existence because that's what we've been doing for the last three or four weeks," he said.

LEGISLATURE HAS STOP-GAP MOVE

The uncertainty over whether the legal fog would clear in time to meet federal elections deadlines has led to a stop-gap move by the Republican-led legislature in Florida.

As the man certified as winner on Nov. 26, Bush already has been awarded a slate of 25 electors who would vote for him in the national Electoral College, which convenes on Dec. 18 to name the 43rd leader of the world's most powerful nation.

But, with the clock advancing toward a deadline next Tuesday for the state's electors to be named, the legislature was holding a special session scheduled for Friday from noon EST (1700 GMT) to prepare to name its own slate.

A Republican member of the state legislature, Johnnie Byrd, said on Thursday the special session was a "safety net" aimed at ensuring Florida's voice is heard in the Electoral College.

"This litigation has gone on for four weeks. ... We've got to exercise our constitutional duty and responsibility to lend some finality to this election," Byrd said.

Democrats in the legislature have accused their Republican colleagues of a cynical ploy to get Bush into the White House by any means.

The Democratic minority leader in the Florida legislature, Lois Frankel, raised questions about the legality of the special session plan. "We're going to create one more big mess, one more big lawsuit, because I don't believe what we're going to be doing is lawful," she said.






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