07092003 - News Article - Judge candidates take it to court - County judge will decide justice in Schererville primary election

Judge candidates take it to court
County judge will decide justice in Schererville primary election
NWI Times
Jul 9, 2003
nwitimes.com/news/local/judge-candidates-take-it-to-court/article_93ff403e-bb09-5e98-a956-e1970e6325a3.html
SCHERERVILLE -- Incumbent Town Judge Deborah Riga will face off in court today with contender Kenneth Anderson, hoping to get his voter fraud case from May's primary thrown out.

Anderson lost the Democratic primary by 11 votes to incumbent Riga. With no Republicans in the running, a county judge's decision on evidence of voter fraud will likely decide the eventual winner.

Anderson already has convinced an election panel that four absentee voters really lived out of the district and therefore voted illegally. The election panel voted 2-1 last month to uphold the primary vote totals in a tainted east side precinct, saying the corruption wasn't rampant enough to disqualify the entire precinct.

Anderson also tried to convince the panel a local political novice with Serbian roots used illegal tactics to get out the vote for Riga in the heavily East European precinct.

Now, Anderson has turned to Lake Superior Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura to re-present the evidence. Riga is asking the judge today to disregard his claims because she said Anderson is stalling the election. Anderson disputes the charge.

"We believe we'll get more evidence," Anderson said. "We have not been dilatory. We have done everything we possibly can."

Bonaventura only has the authority to order a new election for the entire town or the precinct Anderson is contesting. She can not throw votes out, said Kristi Robertson, co-director of the Secretary of State's Election Division.

Meanwhile, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said early last month he was going to launch an investigation into numerous allegations of absentee voter fraud in primary races across the county, including East Chicago, Schererville and Hammond.

Lake County Election Board Director Sally LaSota and election board attorney Bruce Lambka said Tuesday the office has not turned over any information from the Schererville judge race or recount. Election board attorney James Wieser said he has turned over East Chicago information but nothing from Hammond.

The Indiana State Police have not been informed of Carter's investigation, said spokeswoman Sgt. Jill Wojas.

Riga did not return phone calls.