Norm Coleman has lost his case!
The three-judge panel has issued their final ruling in the Minnesota Election Contest. The Coleman case has been "dismissed with prejudice."
PDF:
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/...
From Minneapolis Star Trib:
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Minnesota court has confirmed that Democrat Al Franken won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman.
Monday's ruling isn't expected to be the final word because Coleman previously announced plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court. He has 10 days to do so. That appeal could mean weeks more delay in seating Minnesota's second senator.
After a statewide recount and seven-week trial, Franken stands 312 votes ahead. Franken actually gained more votes from the election challenge than Coleman, the candidate who brought it.
The state law Coleman sued under merely required three judges to determine who got the most votes and is therefore entitled to an election certificate. That critical certificate is on hold pending appeal.
http://www.startribune.com/...
MinnPost's Eric Black:
A step-by-step forecast: Franken will likely be seated by May or June
The likeliest outcome -- no matter whether Team Coleman takes their case to the U.S. Supreme Court and/or tries to get a fresh start in federal district court -- is that Franken will be seated in the Senate in roughly May or June.
http://www.minnpost.com/...
Politico:
Three judge panel declares Franken winner
By MANU RAJU | 4/13/09 8:05 PM EDT Text Size:
A Minnesota court has ruled in favor of Democrat Al Franken in his U.S. Senate race against incumbent Republican Norm Coleman.
Photo: AP
A three-judge panel declared Al Franken the winner in the Minnesota Senate race Monday night, moving the former “Saturday Night Live” star one step closer to becoming the 59th Democrat in the Senate.
http://www.politico.com/...
The Hill:
Norm Coleman just made his appeal more difficult.
His challenge to the Minnesota Senate result sought to add thousands of rejected absentee ballots to the tally — and those ballots ended up breaking sharply for Democrat Al Franken.
Franken’s lead was extended to 312 votes Tuesday, after about 350 improperly rejected absentee ballots were added to the ballot pool.
The total is 87 more votes than Franken led by at the beginning of the day and all but assures that Coleman’s court challenge will fail.
The blow is not unexpected; Coleman’s lawyers have indicated they had little chance, given the small number of absentee ballots added to the count, and have signaled they will appeal to the state Supreme Court and possibly federal court.
Franken led by 225 votes after the recount phase. Coleman challenged the results before a three-judge panel, and the absentee ballots were the centerpiece of his effort to overturn his deficit.
Of the 351 absentees added to the count Tuesday, 198 went to Franken, 111 went to Coleman and 42 went to a third pile, “other.”
http://thehill.com/...