ST. JOSEPH — The recall election of two Lakeshore school board trustees will not be on the November ballot, but might be on the May ballot depending on the outcome of a court case Berrien County Judge Dennis Wiley is presiding over.
During an emergency hearing at the Berrien County Courthouse on Thursday, Wiley declined to reverse the decision made by county officials that there were not enough signatures on the recall petitions to force a recall election.
kAm“%96 =2DE E9:?8 x H2?E E@ 5@ ]]] :D E@ CFD9 E@ ;F58>6?E H96C6 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 27764E @?6 D:56 @C E96 @E96C :? 2? 25G6CD6 H2J[” (:=6J D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 ;F586 D2:5 96 ?665D E@ 962C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 367@C6 >2<:?8 2 CF=:?8] %96 =24< @7 2 CF=:?8 4@>6D 2D E96 5625=:?6 E@ 42== 7@C E96 C642== 6=64E:@? H2D |@?52J]k^Am
kAm%92556FD w24<H@CE9[ 4@CA@C2E6 4@F?D6= 7@C q6CC:6? r@F?EJ[ D2:5 E96 }@G6>36C 32==@E 92D 2=C625J 366? 2AAC@G65 3J E96 q6CC:6? r@F?EJ t=64E:@? r@>>:DD:@? 2?5 :D D6E E@ 36 AC:?E65 E@52J] w6 D2:5 2?J 56=2JD H@F=5 >62? E96 4@F?EJ H@F=5?’E 36 23=6 E@ >66E :ED $6AE] ac 5625=:?6 E@ >2<6 32==@ED 2G2:=23=6 E@ A6@A=6 :? E96 >:=:E2CJ 2?5 E@ @G6CD62D 4:G:=:2?D] '@E:?8 3J 23D6?E66 32==@E 368:?D $6AE] ah]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ (:=6J D2:5 96 H2?ED E@ 6IA65:E6 E96 962C:?8D D@ 96 42? CF=6 @? E96 42D6 367@C6 96 =62G6D @77:46 @? s64] b`] (:=6J 42?’E CF? 7@C C66=64E:@? :? }@G6>36C 5F6 E@ |:49:82?’D DE2EFE@CJ =:>:ED @? ;F586’D 286D]k^Am
kAmp? 6G:56?E:2CJ 962C:?8 52E6 92D ?@E 366? D6E J6E]k^Am
kAm%96 >@E:@? 7@C 2? 6>6C86?4J 962C:?8 H2D 7:=65 pF8] b`[ DE2E:?8 >2?J @7 E96 D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 HC@?87F==J E9C@H? @FE 3J 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D]k^Am
kAm%96 >@E:@? H2D 7:=65 @? 3692=7 @7 7:G6 A6@A=6 H9@ =:G6 :? E96 {2<6D9@C6 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E[ :?4=F5:?8 p:>66 u@DE6C @7 $E6G6?DG:==6[ E96 2FE9@C @7 E96 C642== A6E:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 D66<:?8 E@ C642== {2<6D9@C6 D49@@= 3@2C5 !C6D:56?E y2D@? q64<C@H 2?5 %CFDE66 #2496= (256[ 4:E:?8 E96:C AC:@C DFAA@CE 7@C DEF56?ED E@ H62C 7246 >2D<D H9:=6 2E D49@@=] w@H6G6C[ {2<6D9@C6’D >2D< >2?52E6 6?565 u63] `c]k^Am
kAm%H@ @7 E96 A=2:?E:77D 2C6 #:492C5 |4r@J 2?5 pD9=6J (9:E6[ H9@ :?E6?5 E@ CF? 7@C E96 {2<6D9@C6 D49@@= 3@2C5 D62ED] %96J 2C6 =:DE65 2>@?8 E96 42?5:52E6D DFAA@CE65 3J (6 E96 !2C6?ED[ 2 42>A2:8? A@=:E:42= 24E:@? 4@>>:EE66 4C62E65 E@ DFAA@CE b_ 42?5:52E6D 24C@DD `_ D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED]k^Am
kAmp 7@FCE9 A=2:?E:77 :D #@3J? vC2776?:FD[ H9@ 7:=65 E96 kDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]96C2=5A2==25:F>]4@>^4@>>F?:E:6D^DE6G6?DG:==6^=2<6D9@C6\D49@@=\3@2C5\>6>36CD\7246\C642==\A6E:E:@?D^2CE:4=603gch_de3\6`a2\d6_a\262`\fhgb3fa7b52d]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm7:CDE 2EE6>AE E@ C642==k^2mk^DA2?m q64<C@H 2?5 (256 @? u63] ac] %96 A6E:E:@? kDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]96C2=5A2==25:F>]4@>^4@>>F?:E:6D^DE6G6?DG:==6^C642==\A6E:E:@?D\56?:65\282:?DE\=2<6D9@C6\D49@@=\3@2C5\ECFDE66D^2CE:4=60ch7``gf4\5c`b\debg\2735\_3dg`efa4fh7]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm=2?8F286 vC2776?:FD DF3>:EE65 H2D =2E6C 56?:65k^2mk^DA2?m 3J E96 q6CC:6? r@F?EJ t=64E:@? r@>>:DD:@?[ H9:49 D2:5 E96 =2?8F286 H2D @A:?:@?2E65 2?5^@C ?@E 724EF2=] (:==:2> vC2776?:FD[ E96 7:7E9 A=2:?E:77[ :D 96C 9FD32?5]k^Am
kAm%96 42D6 H2D 7:=65 282:?DE E9C66 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D – r=6C< $92C@? %J=6C[ p5>:?:DEC2E@C qC:2? s:DD6EE6 2?5 $96:=2 #6:EK[ 49:67 56AFEJ 4=6C< 2?5 6=64E:@?D 25>:?:DEC2E@C]k^Am
kAm%96 =2?8F286 @? E96 C642== A6E:E:@? kDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]96C2=5A2==25:F>]4@>^4@>>F?:E:6D^DE6G6?DG:==6^C642==\A6E:E:@?D\2AAC@G65\7@C\=2<6D9@C6\?:=6D\D49@@=\3@2C5D^2CE:4=60a66g4253\2h57\db47\gf5f\c6c2f5gb5h`g]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmH2D 2AAC@G65 pAC:= adk^2mk^DA2?m 2?5 :D 8@@5 7@C `g_ 52JD] w@H6G6C[ @?46 E96 7:CDE D:8?2EFC6 :D 4@==64E65[ E96 A6E:E:@?6C 92D e_ 52JD E@ 4@==64E 2?5 EFC? E96> :?E@ E96 4=6C<’D @77:46]k^Am
kAm~C82?:K6CD 925 E@ 4@==64E a[`ed G2=:5 D:8?2EFC6D E@ 7@C46 2 C642== 6=64E:@?] ~? pF8] `[ A6E:E:@?6CD EFC?65 :? a[c__ D:8?2EFC6D 7@C (256[ @7 H9:49 @?=J a[_`h H6C6 7@F?5 E@ 36 G2=:5[ #6:EK D2:5 2E E96 E:>6] u@C q64<C@H[ 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D D2:5 @?=J a[_da @7 E96 a[bgg D:8?2EFC6D DF3>:EE65 H6C6 7@F?5 E@ 36 G2=:5]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 4@F?EJ 6=64E:@?D @77:46 >2<6D DFC6 E96 =2?8F286 :D 4@CC64E @? E96 A6E:E:@?D[ E96J D6?5 A6E:E:@?D E@ E96 =@42= 4=6C<D 7@C D:8?2EFC6 G2=:52E:@?]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 %9FCD52J’D 962C:?8[ |:4926= $<:??6C[ 2EE@C?6J 7@C E96 A=2:?E:77D[ D2:5 G@=F?E66CD DA6?E 9F?5C65D @7 9@FCD 4@==64E:?8 D:8?2EFC6D 7@C E96 C642==] w6 BF6DE:@?65 H9J >2?J @7 E96 D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 E9C@H? @FE]k^Am
kAmx? 2 HC:EE6? DE2E6>6?E 27E6C E96 962C:?8[ ':4E@CJ (@@52==[ DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C (6 E96 !2C6?ED[ D2:5 h_ A6@A=6 H9@D6 D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 E9C@H? @FE 92G6 D:8?65 DE2E6>6?ED E92E E96J 5:5 D:8? E96 A6E:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%9:D H2D :? 2? 677@CE E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 E@ E96 4@F?EJ E92E E96 DF3>:EE65 A6E:E:@?D H6C6 :? 724E AC@A6C=J D:8?65[” E96 DE2E6>6?E C625D] “~FC 9@A6 H2D[ 2?5 DE:== :D[ E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 4@F?EJ E@ 7:?5 2? 2>:423=6 C6D@=FE:@?] %@ 52E6[ E96 4@F?EJ 92D ?@E 28C665 E@ 2446AE @FC H:E?6DD DE2E6>6?E DF3>:DD:@?] pD DF49[ 3642FD6 @7 E96 4@F?EWJ’DX 32==@E AC:?E:?8 E:>6=:?6[ H6 925 ?@ 49@:46 3FE E@ 2EE6>AE E@ 86E 6>6C86?4J C6=:67 7C@> E96 ;F586 367@C6 E96 5625=:?6 @7 h^h] ~FC 2C8F>6?ED :? 4@FCE E@52J H6C6 4@>A6==:?8 6?@F89 E92E yF586 (:=6J 42==65 7@C 2? 6G:56?E:2CJ 962C:?8] (6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 @FC 677@CE E@ >2<6 DFC6 2== D:8?2EFC6D C6AC6D6?E:?8 2 C68:DE6C65 G@E6C @7 {2<6D9@C6 $49@@= s:DEC:4E :D 4@F?E65]”k^Am
kAmx? 2? 277:52G:E DF3>:EE65 E@ E96 4@FCE[ #6:EK D2:5 E96 4@F?EJ 4=6C<’D @77:46 “C646:G65 ?F>6C@FD 4@>A=2:?ED 7C@> E96 AF3=:4 :?5:42E:?8 E92E A6E:E:@? 4:C4F=2E@CD H6C6 >:DC6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 A6E:E:@?]”k^Am
kAmx? @?6 42D6[ E96 277:52G:E DE2E6D 2 D:8?6C D2:5 9:D C6BF6DE E@ 92G6 9:D ?2>6 E2<6? @77 E96 A6E:E:@? H2D C6A62E65=J :8?@C65]k^Am
k9cm$y D49@@=D C642== FA52E6k^9cm
kAmp7E6C E96 962C:?8[ #6:EK D2:5 D96 92D F?E:= $6AE] `c E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 6?@F89 G2=:5 D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 4@==64E65 E@ 7@C46 2 C642== 6=64E:@? 282:?DE $E] y@D6A9 D49@@= 3@2C5 %CFDE66D z2E9J (6J<2>A 2?5 qC6EE (:6C] x7 E96C6 2C6 6?@F89 G2=:5 D:8?2EFC6D[ E92E C642== 6=64E:@? H@F=5 36 :? |2J 3642FD6 E96 D:8?2EFC6D H6C6 DF3>:EE65 27E6C E96 pF8] d 5625=:?6]k^Am
kAm$92H? w:==[ 2FE9@C @7 E96 $E] y@D6A9 C642== A6E:E:@?D[ 2EE6?565 %9FCD52J’D 4@FCE 962C:?8] w6 BF6DE:@?65 H9J E96C6 H2D ?@ FA52E6 @? 9:D A6E:E:@? 27E6C %9FCD52J’D 962C:?8]k^Am
kAm%@ 7@C46 2 C642== 7@C E96 $E] y@D6A9 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E[ kDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]96C2=5A2==25:F>]4@>^?6HD^6=64E:@?D^=2<6D9@C6\DE\;@D6A9\C642==\42>A2:8?D\2H2:E\D:8?2EFC6\G6C:7:42E:@?D^2CE:4=60h4h`c`25\4abb\dag_\h57e\2_34d6fd4a__]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qma[chg G2=:5 D:8?2EFC6Dk^2mk^DA2?m 2C6 ?66565] (6 E96 !2C6?ED 4@==64E65 a[dh_ D:8?2EFC6D 7@C (6J<2>A 2?5 a[dg_ D:8?2EFC6D 7@C (:6C]k^Am
kAmk6>m%9:D 2CE:4=6 H2D FA52E65 E@ C67=64E 2 4@CC64E:@? 7C@> 2 AC6G:@FD G6CD:@?]k^6>mk^Am