Judge Won't Immediately Rule In AG Election

A state court judge said she would not immediately rule on the lawsuit brought by Republican Martha Dean that tries to disqualify Democrat George Jepsen from the race for attorney general. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports.

 

Dean filed suit earlier this week claiming that Jepsen didn’t have the required legal experience to serve as attorney general.  Jepsen has called the suit frivolous.  According to the Connecticut Mirror, a judge heard argument Friday but said that she would not immediately rule.

 

That means the election could go forward without a resolution of Dean’s complaint.  And that’s fine by Jepsen.

 

“I’m very that the voters are going to pick the next attorney general and that it’s not going to be decided in a courtroom. The issues are very complex, there are a lot of issues, the judge appropriately wants to get it right.”

 

This is the second time this year that a candidate’s qualifications for the office have been questioned. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz was forced out of the Democratic primary for attorney general earlier this year because the state supreme court found she did not have the required 10 years of active legal practice. 

 

So what happens if Jepsen wins the election and eventually loses the court fight?  State law provides that a governor can fill a vacancy in the attorney general’s office. 

 

For WNPR, I’m Jeff Cohen.