Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth today reversed his original ruling from Jan. 10, and now says the Division of Elections shall not issue petition booklets for the Recall Dunleavy Committee by Feb. 10.
And in fact, shall not issue those booklets until the Supreme Court has decided the case.
The Recall Dunleavy Committee is attempting to remove Gov. Mike Dunleavy via a special election. They must collect over 70,000 signatures on an official recall petition, but that momentum is now paused.
“This matter is stayed pending resolution of this case in the Alaska Supreme Court,” Judge Aarseth wrote.
The decision is the first defeat for the Recall Dunleavy Committee since they started their campaign to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy nearly a year ago. It makes it harder for the committee to get the question on a special election ballot.
The request for a stay was thought to be procedural, since the judge had already verbally stated he would not grant a stay. But during court proceedings on Jan. 10, Stand Tall With Mike attorney Brewster Jamieson asked that they be able to request a say in writing, anyway. A written request for a stay would have allowed Jamieson to also appeal that denial to the Supreme Court.
Judge Aarseth begrudgingly allowed them to put the request in writing, even though he had just stated what his ruling was.
Evidently, the legal team for Dunleavy was persuasive in their motion, as Aarseth reversed his ruling today.
