Judge to GOP Candidates: You Snooze, You Lose
Federal District Judge John Gibney yesterday rejected the efforts by GOP Presidential candidates Perry, Gingrich, Santorum, and Huntsman to litigate their way onto the Virginia March 6, 2012 primary ballot. Each of the candidates had failed to comply with the Virginia statutory requirement that they obtain 10,000 signatures to qualify for the primary. In its Opinion, the Court held that their request for a preliminary injunction to place them on the ballot was barred by the equitable doctrine of laches – meaning that they waited too long to challenge the law, and a change at this time would disrupt the printing of the ballots and the primary process. “In essence, they played the game, lost, and then complained the rules were unfair.” Op. at 2. In doing so, the candidates “displayed an unreasonable and inexcusable lack of diligence.” Op. at 11.Read More »Judge to GOP Candidates: You Snooze, You Lose