An election law specialist attorney has filed litigation demanding the cancellation of the anticipated Aug. 3 recall election targeting Kingman Mayor Jen Miles. The city council was expected to schedule the election next week after scrutiny by city and Mohave County officials determined that petitions submitted on behalf of recall leader James Coffman had sufficient valid signatures to advance the question.
Lawyer Roopali Desai filed suit Wednesday in Mohave County Superior Court. Surrogate plaintiff Deborah Bennett, a Kingman Regional Medical Center Dr., names the mayor and city council members as defendants, as well as city clerk Annie Meredith and Mohave County Recorder Kristi Blair.
Coffman initiated the recall last September, alleging Mayor Miles engaged in “abuse of power”, largely because of the coronavirus mask mandate that was in effect at that time. Blair’s office determined that 1,512 of the signatures are valid, 128 more than the minimum number necessary to qualify the recall.
The Desai suit, however, alleges the petitions are fatally flawed due to circulation issues.
“The recall petitions submitted by Mr. Coffman and his allies were not attached to a `time-and-date-marked copy’ as required,” the suit alleged. “In addition, some or all of the petition signatures gathered by Mr. Coffman and his allies were not personally witnessed by the petition circulator as required.”
The suit alleges that various individuals signed the backs of the petitions falsely claiming that they witnessed the signatures take place. It alleged the petition sheets were simply left on counters of various Kingman businesses and that the signatures were not witnessed as required.
The lawsuit alleges deception by recall advocates.
“Mr. Coffman and his allies inserted copies of the Application in between the petitions to make it appear as if a copy of the Application always accompanied the petitions,” the suit contends. “All petitions circulated by Mr. Coffman and his allies are invalid.”
Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen is asked to order city officials not to conduct the election. It also asks the Court to order that the plaintiff be awarded court costs and attorney fees.
Judge Jantzen is expected to schedule an expedited hearing sometime next week.
Dave Hawkins
