Politics & Government

READ: Coventry Supreme Court Special Election Ruling

Read the entire ruling by Supreme Court Justice Gilbert Indeglia ordering the town of Coventry to hold a special election to fill a vacant District 5 Town Council seat.

Supreme Court Justice Gilbert Indeglia ordered the town of Coventry to plan a special election to fill a vacant District 5 Town Council seat after an apparent Town Charter debacle that was discovered after the resignation of a council member in February.

The decision was issued late Tuesday evening.

The council seat was vacated in February after former Councilman Thaddeus Jendzejec resigned after moving out of the district.

At first, town officials were under the impression that the vacant seat could be filled by council appointment based on advice by the town solicitor.

That advice was based on the "official reporter," where the Town Charter is found, and it apparently was modified through error, "inadvertence or oversight" and was "inadvertently, incorrectly and illegally misprinted in the official reporter," according to a town court filing.

Residents Debra Bacon and Nancy Sullivan filed the suit which asked the court to order the town to hold a special election, arguing that District 5 voters deserved representation.

In the court filing, town lawyers argued that if the record of the charter was accurate, things would have been done differently back in February, but "now is now, not Feb. 28."

To grab the full ruling yourself, click "download PDF" next to the image to grab it.


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