Cases contesting election dismissed

The Journal Reporter discovered late Monday afternoon the attorney representing two Pike County residents who filed petitions against the county contesting the July 31 election has dismissed both of the cases.Robert E. Adams Jr., one of four candidates for the District 4 board of education seat, filed a petition Aug. 20 challenging the qualification of the other three candidates in the race. The petition claimed the other candidates should not have been allowed to qualify and run in the fourth district because the districts should have been redistricted because of demographic changes recorded in the 2010 census. The other case that was dismissed was from resident Patricia Beckham who filed a petition Aug. 21 contesting the election, claiming she was incorrectly registered to vote in District 4 and should have been registered to vote in a redistricted District 5. Both of the cases against Pike were dismissed by the attorney who filed them ‘without prejudice,’ meaning a new case could be brought against the county on the same issue. According to county attorney Rob Morton, a counterclaim was filed seeking attorney’s fees for having to defend the two cases. The county’s counterclaim was also dismissed Monday afternoon. Morton said he does not believe any county employees were involved in any wrongdoing that would cause any election to be contested.”I think their dismissal speaks for itself,” Morton said.