State court wants court explanation of Romanelli legal fee payment
[From The Citizens Voice]
State court wants court explanation of ruling requiring legal fee payment
BY DENISE ALLABAUGH
STAFF WRITER
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ordered the Commonwealth Court must explain why Luzerne County Green Party co-chair Carl Romanelli has to pay more than $80,000 in legal fees stemming from his failed effort to make the ballot in last year’s U.S. Senate race.
In a decision handed down Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered the Commonwealth Court to issue a final written order breaking down the costs by category and a statement explaining the rationale behind the imposition of the costs.
The Commonwealth Court’s amended final order will give future candidates notice of what actions on their part might justify the imposition of fees and costs, the Supreme Court order stated.
“The Supreme Court has affirmed the right of the lower court to do this, but it is asking the lower court for the second time to explain what costs are associated with what violation and what the legal reasoning is for that penalty,” Romanelli said. “I think this bodes well for me because I have said all along that I haven’t done anything that violates the law.”
Romanelli did not appear on the ballot for U.S. Senate last year because Democratic attorneys persuaded the court that enough of the 95,000 signatures he collected were technically invalid to bring him below the state’s requirement of 67,000 signatures. According to the state’s ballot access rules, Democratic and Republican candidates must gather 2,000 signatures to get on the primary ballot and independents must gather 67,000.
Romanelli has said the Democrats’ challenge to the ballot petitions was unconstitutional because the law requires challengers be specific in their charges.
“The Supreme Court is essentially saying, ‘We can’t agree with imposing costs without you saying what the costs are for,’” Romanelli said. “They’re saying, ‘If you’re going to fine this candidate, tell all of us why’ … They have yet to explain or justify doing this to me.”
dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com
