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February 7, 2011

Coeur d’Alene Election Lawsuit 2009-2011

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: , , , — Bill @ 7:20 pm

Since Jim Brannon’s lawsuit contesting the November 2009 Coeur d’Alene city election was filed in Idaho’s First District Court on November 30, 2009,  the public has been kept almost totally in the dark about every aspect of that matter.  Our local newspaper, the Coeur d’Alene Press, and our regional newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, have failed miserably to fulfill one of any daily newspaper’s principal responsibilities:  Provide the public with accurate, timely, complete information we can understand so we, the people, can exercise our responsibilities to oversee and evaluate the conduct of our public officials.

In February 2010 I began keeping notes and researching the court filings and other public documents.  It has been an ongoing effort resulting in the paper titled The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Election Contest Lawsuit – 2009-2011.  There are hyperlinks to other material embedded in the paper.

As Dan Gookin would say (correctly!), it’s clunky.  It is divided into logical sections with headings describing the section’s content.  I’ve tried to base the content on the questions I believe people would like to have answered by credible newspapers.  In the section titled “Major Issues of Statewide Importance,” I’ve tried to identify the larger issues legislators will have to address.

One promise I can make:  After reading this, you will have a better understanding of the election contest lawsuit than Coeur d’Alene’s mayor, city council, and city clerk.

9 Comments

  1. After reading this, you will have a better understanding of the election contest lawsuit than Coeur d’Alene’s mayor, city council, and city clerk.

    Based on their actions, I can assume that they want to remain ignorant of any details. An intelligent person would be curious. An honest person would be ashamed. An responsible person would order an investigation.

    Comment by Dan — February 7, 2011 @ 8:44 pm

  2. Bill, do you know if a Supreme Court hearing has been scheduled?

    Comment by Stebbijo — February 7, 2011 @ 8:51 pm

  3. Well done Bill! I don’t think it’s clunky at all. Actually, I was thinking it’s Gookin who’s kind of clunky. This whole debacle also reveals the need for a new ag, sos, prosecuting attorney, several district court judges, mayor and council. As clunky mentioned, I mean Dan, they should all be ashamed of themselves, I guess that is if they were honest.

    Comment by Steve Adams — February 7, 2011 @ 9:05 pm

  4. Dan,

    You are correct. Those on the City Council and elsewhere who insist that Brannon should have settled for a recount are ignorant or worse.

    Our alleged news/views/skews media have chosen to remain ignorant; they were not even curious; and in terms of journalistic honesty and integrity, they’re MIA.

    As for the investigation, we undertook that because no one else would. “We” refers to an unspecified number of volunteers who spent dozens of hours poring over public records including poll books and online databases. A lot of those volunteers had special life skills that gave them interesting and valuable perspectives on many of the issues raised in the paper. Without their willingness to step up and perform the duties we expected public officials to perform, the deficiencies in the Kootenai County Clerk’s office (not just the Elections Office), the Secretary of State’s office, and the Idaho Attorney General’s office would have remained hidden.

    Comment by Bill — February 8, 2011 @ 6:24 am

  5. Stebbijo,

    I don’t believe so. On April 7 and 8, 2011, the Idaho Supreme Court is scheduled to convene in Northern Idaho (the exact location wasn’t yet specified). I’m hoping it will be argued orally in front of the Idaho Supreme Court here in Coeur d’Alene.

    Comment by Bill — February 8, 2011 @ 6:28 am

  6. Steve,

    Thank you. I need to make it clear that the only time Dan has referred to my writing as “clunky” is when I’ve asked him to review it, and not every time at that. Dan and Mary and I have a running joke going among us. Both of them write colorfully; their writing entertains and stimulates thought. My writing is usually monochrome, written in the tedious clunkiness of an investigative report, and tends to be sleep-inducing. Different backgrounds, different styles.

    What I hope people come away with is a firm understanding that if Jim and Christine Brannon and Starr Kelso had not been as tenacious and courageous as they were, a lot of the “stuff” that’s come out since the election would not have been uncovered. If the volunteers who worked in the background hadn’t been so diligent and so willing to endure the gossip and hate fueled by the Mullan Avenue Gang at Corrupt d’Alene City Hall, a lot of the “stuff” would never have come out. I suspect there is more “stuff” to come. Just don’t look for our area news/views/skews media to cover it.

    Comment by Bill — February 8, 2011 @ 6:42 am

  7. Move along. Nothing to see here, the election is over. Be sure to vote next election…aye?

    Comment by Happy Trails — February 8, 2011 @ 7:19 am

  8. Happy Trails,

    There is a lot more to see. The election is over, but the process has yet to be fixed. Our new County Clerk, Cliff Hayes, has his work cut out for him, but he’s up to the task. It is going to take more than one election to unsnarl the backlash on the county’s fishing reel.

    Comment by Bill — February 8, 2011 @ 7:29 am

  9. More to see. I agree, just quoting Officer Barbrady, South Park’s finest. [Bill’s note: Okay, I didn’t know who Officer Barbrady is/was, so I’ve linked to some info. I’m enlightened, thanks to Happy Trails.]

    Comment by Happy Trails — February 8, 2011 @ 8:16 am

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