Justice Ann-Marie Smith said she was “getting ahead of” herself when she promised to issue her ruling on the legal dispute between Mark Vanterpool and Speaker of the House Julian Willock by last Thursday.
However, in court that day she said she would issue her final decision by May 2.
Mr. Willock refused to swear in Mr. Vanterpool as Fourth District Representative after Mr. Vanterpool announced his resignation before he was sworn in and then shortly after reversed his decision, which he now claims was invalid.
Mr. Vanterpool is now requesting that the court declare that he did not resign and did not vacate his seat.
Meanwhile, in court last Thursday Attorney General Baba Aziz took issue with some of the documents that Mr. Willock submitted to the judge.
Among the speaker’s submissions was the letter Mr. Aziz had previously sent to Governor Gus Jaspert stating his opinion on the legality of Mr. Vanterpool’s resignation and advising him not to call a by-election.
Mr. Aziz said the letter was copied to Mr. Willock, who violated the privilege of confidence when he included it among the documents he submitted to the court.
One of Mr. Willock’s lawyers, Valston Graham, responded that the attorney general’s advice was relevant material for the court.
The judge said she would take into account only statements that Mr. Aziz made in court.