Local News in Brief : Candidate Appeal Denied
The state Supreme Court has declined to review an Inglewood City Council candidate’s request that he be declared the winner of a runoff election last June.
The denial of the petition by Garland Hardeman, a Los Angeles police officer, is the latest development in Hardeman’s eight-month legal fight against Inglewood Councilman Ervin (Tony) Thomas.
Last October, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Leon Savitch annulled Thomas’ June victory over Hardeman, throwing out 31 illegal votes for Thomas because of Election Code violations involving absentee ballots. Thomas had received 16 more votes than Hardeman.
Savitch called for a new election. Thomas remains in office pending appeals by his lawyer, the city and Hardeman’s attorneys, who say state law required Savitch to declare Hardeman the winner.
A state appellate panel in December denied Hardeman’s emergency petition to have him placed in office.
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