Thursday, September 8, 2011, 11:03 pm News Flash Archive

This morning, Chancellor Catherine Farris-Carter (of Cleveland) held a hearing on Preston Ratliff's motion to ratify the Restraining Order against the Anjuan Brown/Larry Griggs faction of the Leflore County Democrat Executive Committee (LCDEC).

The Court had ordered that the Griggs faction of the LCDEC not hold any hearings on the election contest that Ratliff filed against Brown unless a proper, five-day notice had been provided to Mr. Ratliff.

Mr. Perkins, Ratliff's attorney, informed the court that the Griggs faction had violated the court's order yesterday morning by holding a hearing without providing proper notice to Mr. Ratliff.

The Griggs faction did not appear at the beginning of the court's hearing. It turns out that the Griggs faction was holding ANOTHER hearing this morning right next door to the court hearing and at the same time.

Anjuan Brown and his attorney, Sam Begley appeared in court, but after much argument, the court found that Brown / Begley could not participate since they weren't parties to the restraining order.

Mr. Griggs finally appeared 40 minutes late for the hearing (his LCDEC faction's hearing being concluded next door), at which point he hired Mr. Begley to represent him in court this morning.

Mr. Griggs admitted that his faction had held a hearing yesterday morning, and Mr. Begley admitted that no notice had been served on Mr. Ratliff, because, according to Begley, Ratliff was evading the process server.

There was a great deal of argument, and at one point the judge sharply rebuked Mr. Begley for interrupting her while she was speaking.

The court finally found that:

a. the Griggs faction of the LCDEC had violated her order by holding a hearing yesterday morning without proper notice to Mr. Ratliff;

b. the Restraining Order would therefore be continued;

c. Larry Griggs, Latrinda Walker, and Catherine Climons were in contempt of court for violating the court's order, and sanctioned $1 for their contempt;

d. the Griggs faction LCDEC hearing of yesterday morning, which certified Anjuan Brown the winner, is null and void.

Meanwhile, the Ratliff / Ross faction of the LCDEC also held a meeting yesterday morning and certified Mr. Ratliff the winner. Mr. Begley claimed in court this morning that Anjuan Brown had not been timely served notice for that hearing. He has filed a petition with the Circuit Court to void the results of that faction's hearing.

The Griggs faction, as noted above, held a "do-over" hearing this morning, and re-confirmed its certification of Anjuan Brown as the winner of the nomination.

So the two factions continue the struggle, with contradictory rulings in the matter, and more and more courts are brought into the developing maelstrom of dispute and litigation.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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