Friday, February 8, 2013

Quitman County Circuit Clerk & Deputy Circuit Clerk indicted over absentee ballots

A Quitman County grand jury indicted Circuit Clerk Brenda Wiggs and Deputy Circuit Clerk Bobbie Buggs for one count each of violating the laws concerning absentee ballots (Section 23-15-751 of the Mississippi Code). The indictments charge that Ms Buggs signed more than fifty absentee ballots as a witness while she was a candidate for Justice Court Judge. State law bars candidates from acting as a witness when absentee ballots are signed by the voter. Ms. Buggs is charged with allowing her Deputy Clerk to violate the law. A conviction is a misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $1,000. The Circuit Clerk can be removed from office upon conviction.

The contest for Justice Court Judge in Quitman County was very close and a new election was ordered after a judge found a few problems with the absentee ballots. The Panolian reported on January 3:

"A Quitman County justice court judge, who went to court to seek a new election, has won re-election to his post. Joe Brown won re-election Dec. 13 after defeating challenger Bobbie Buggs 584 to 523, Brown told The Panolian.

An independent candidate, Jimmy Edwards, dropped out of the race after Brown won re-election, the incumbent said. A new election for justice court judge was ordered in November, when Circuit Court Judge Robert Chamberlain tossed out 192 absentee ballots that he declared illegal after holding a one-day trial.

Brown, a two-term justice court judge, contested the election results after Buggs won 788 to 776, a twelve-vote difference. Brown was represented by Batesville attorney Tom Womble.
Buggs serves as deputy circuit clerk in Quitman County, where the one-day trial showed that she witnessed 122 absentee ballots in the clerk’s office.

Mississippi election law forbids people from witnessing absentee ballots on which their name appears as a candidate. Buggs was represented by Oxford attorney Tom Freeland IV, who has told The Panolian his client was unaware she was forbidden from witnessing the absentees.

The court tossed those 122 absentees and 70 others, stating “there were enough illegal votes to challenge the outcome of the election and to call into doubt the will of the voters,” according to Chamberlain’s order.


The judge’s order further explains that 61 absentee ballots were thrown out because the over-65 voters failed to have their absentee ballot notarized before they were mailed in.
"

The indictment states Ms. Buggs participated as an attesting witness for 92 absentee ballots for the election. The indictment charges Ms. Wiggs with one count of knowingly allowing Ms. Buggs to break the law. Ms. Wiggs is the mother of  WLBT meterologist Barbie Bassett.

23 comments:

Benny053 said...

This awesome...great coverage. Thank you!

Shadowfax said...

Wiggs and Buggs. Need we wonder?

Anonymous said...

And we should care why?

Anonymous said...

Helloooooo!!!! The arm of the law works in other counties when a public official does not do the right thing. Will someone wake up in Hinds County! It amazes me that you can read almost every day about someone being called on the carpet, be it DMR or many other officials in city, county and state offices in MS. BUT... not in Hinds County. No sir, get elected to office and you can pretty much ignore the laws that are in place and set up your own set of rules. It makes me sick.

Anonymous said...

This story can't be true. There is no such thing as voter fraud.

Anonymous said...

KF again with the scoop...not a word of this on WLBT WJTV WAPT websites!!!!

Anonymous said...

Dig a little deeper KF. You'll find a non-story. That's why the tv news stations aren't touching it.

Anonymous said...

@2:46 PM ... agree completely ... the Airwave no-bid professional services contract that Kingfish has documented at length does not meet the letter of the law ... not a peep out of Pickering and even if he acted now the damage to the Hinds budget has been done ... and maybe that is the plan to allow Hinds and Jackson to go under ... maybe that is the only way as we are witnessing in Detroit for the state to finally take over the City and County.

Anonymous said...

Feb. 8 @ 2:43 pm

Maybe disenfranchisement, or the probability thereof, doesn't concern you, but it bothers the hell out of me.

Good work KF!

Anonymous said...

Nope. The real news stations won't cover this because they know it's a non story. Why waste your precious blog space on this when you can't even get it right?

Anonymous said...

Is'nt Wiggs Barbie Bassets mother? If that's true maybe that's why the local news stations are not covering the story.

Anonymous said...

Whoops. See several defamation lawsuits a comin'. Bet the lawyers are lining up for this one!

Kingfish said...

How so? I merely quoted from the court file.

Anonymous said...

Yep, it's her mother.

http://www.mc.edu/news/department-of-communication-honors-wlbts-barbie-bassett/

Opps.

Anonymous said...

And we should care why? What does the weathergirl have to do with this story? I'm with the other poster--see some defamation lawsuits on the horizon.

Anonymous said...

Absentee ballots, Again? KF can we please go get a shot of bourbon ??

Rodney

Anonymous said...

And we see, again, absentee ballots are where the fraud is. In-person voter fraud is not a problem, but one party makes us believe it is.

Anonymous said...

Heard the latest? AG dropped the charges. That's why the news stations and C-L refused to touch this one. They smelled a rat. You asked about defamation? Now you know why. Better "make nice" with the weather girl before you hear from her attorneys.

Anonymous said...

There is NO defamation contained in the public and truthful information presented in the pubication of this post. The information presented herein is public record.

Kingfish said...

I reported an indictment that was in a public file.

Please file the lawsuit. We'll rake up in sanctions against the lawyer and damages against the plaintiff for filing something frivolous. The bar complaint will be fun to file as well.

Anonymous said...

Wait for it...wait for it.... in 3,2,1...

Anonymous said...

Then, after 3,2,1, that will be the story!

Anonymous said...

Wait for it...wait for it.... in 3,2,1...



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