Council members looking to oust the city’s registrars of voters will hold a hearing Tuesday, but they won’t be able to hear testimony or consider evidence. A Superior Court judge on Monday postponed ruling on whether to grant an injunction that would stop the removal hearings. The court wanted to give the registrars’ attorneys an opportunity to respond to a brief filed Monday by lawyers for the council. The attorneys will file their response Thursday and a ruling on the injunctions, sought by the registrars’ lawyers, is expected early next week. In the meantime, the council can proceed with the first of the removal hearings, but they won’t be able to hear testimony from witnesses until the judge rules on the injunction.
Ross Garber, an attorney for the council who is acting as a prosecutor at the removal hearings, said he will take up motions and discuss procedure on Tuesday.
Lawyers for the registrars have filed a motion to disqualify Council President Shawn Wooden over what they called a conflict of interest. Wooden’s colleague, attorney James H. Rotondo, helped oversee an investigation into the registrars’ office. However, the council has said Rotondo did the work pro bono.
A motion to sever the hearings so that each registrar was given her own, separate hearing, was also filed by lawyers for the registrars. The council voted in favor of the removal hearings in February, saying mistakes made on Election Day amount to a Constitutional violation.
Full Article: Judge Postpones Ruling As Hartford Council Moves Forward With Hearings To Remove Registrars – Hartford Courant.