Judge refuses to clarify rulings

WENATCHEE — Chelan County Superior Judge John Bridges today declined to issue an order clarifying a series of rulings he made in the governor's election lawsuit earlier this month.

Bridges instead sided with Republicans and signed an order that does little more than tally the motions that were granted and denied at a hearing Feb. 4.

Democrats wanted Bridges to sign an order providing specifics on key issues in the case, particularly whether Republicans would have to show in court which candidate got the illegal votes they allege were cast in the November election.

Bridges said, though, that the "court has explained already its reasoning" in the rulings from the bench two weeks ago, and he did not see the need to clarify anything further today.

But he said issues raised by Democratic Party attorney Kevin Hamiltion, particularly about standards of proof for illegal votes, need to be addressed in court.

"I think that is important to be done before the actual hearing," Bridges said.

Bridges signed the order proposed by attorneys for Dino Rossi and the Republicans who filed the lawsuit.

The judge declined a Republican request to set a trial date in April. He said that was premature, until the issues of standards of proof are settled. The judge said that could take three weeks. Bridges said he also doesn't want to set a trial date until both sides are done collecting evidence and responding to subpoenas.

Hamilton said Republicans are "stonewalling" and not responding to Democrats' request for information.

Dale Foreman, an attorney for Rossi and the Republicans, told Bridges that the trial should last no more than three days.

Republicans filed the case in January in an attempt to overturn the November election and have Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire removed from office.

Rossi was initially declared the winner of the November election, the closest governor's race in state history. He won the initial count by 261 votes and a machine recount by 42 votes. But after a hand recount, Gregoire was declared the winner by 129 votes.