MAYOR PERKINS REINSTATED- Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has been reinstated as a qualified mayoral candidate for the November 8th election. On Friday the Louisiana Supreme court reinstated the incumbent Perkins in a 4-3 vote after hearing arguments earlier in the week. Perkins had been disqualified due to a lawsuit pointing out he had incorrectly put down an address different from the one he had received a homestead exemption for when he filed his candidacy documents.
After the ruling was announced, Perkins made these comments before reporters gathered outside the Caddo Parish Courthouse.
“To the four (Louisiana) Supreme Court justices that due diligence, interpretation of the law, that is going to allow the citizens of Shreveport to vote on who is going to be mayor over the next four years, I want to say thank you,” Perkins said. “Your values, your courage definitely put up points in the democracy column today and in the justice column, so thank you for what you did.”
After his statement, Perkins would not take questions from reporters. Two lower courts had ruled Perkins be disqualified because false information, even if made by mistake, on qualifying forms should be enough to disqualify a candidate. Perkins’ appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court resulted with ruling for reinstatement after Perkins’ attorney argued that the Louisiana legislature left room in their rules for candidates to falsify some information on qualifying forms.
In the 4-3 ruling, the court's Chief Justice John L. Weimer wrote candidates only have to agree that three of the fourteen certifications are accurate under penalty of disqualification.
