realist wrote:
It was obvious (and it is certainly permissible) that the board had looked at Orly's zibits beforehand. It's also obvious they knew, without authentication, they were hearsay. It's also obvious they knew an SSN was not a requirement to be president. They had done their homework. Just as a judge would.
It was quite clear that Riordan had examined the documents in depth, as she accurately described the contents of the packet, which I could not have done at the time.
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In fact, unless it's the rules in IN that if you challenge you're entitled to a hearing, they would have been completely within their rights to toss it without a hearing. Judges do the same thing every day.
I think the only argument here is that a couple of them could have conducted themselves personally a little better, but to say the hearing wasn't "fair" is going way too far. Based on the prior-presented zibits, and then beginning with the irrelevant SSN nonsense, it was not only fair but proper to shut Orly and her minions down on that type of presentation.
It would have been a reversible error to admit any of that garbage. It would be utterly inadmissible as evidence in any real court of law and, frankly, was so abjectly a pile of garbage that it would have been not only an abuse of discretion to admit it, but Orly even submitting it was an act of incompetence that could reasonably subject her to bar discipline.
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As to the empty chair, the burden is on the challenger to meet their challenge. It was obvious they could not do so, so there was no need for anyone to be there nor to present anything. If it goes to a court on appeal, I suspect they may defend then, on the papers, and that's likely as far as it will get.
That as well is correct. Unlike in Georgia, the status quo is the candidate is on the ballot. It is up to the challenger to present evidence to challenge that, and that evidence must be, as elsewhere, substantial and credible.
Further, the rule allowing for default is permissive. The Commission may, in its discretion, grant a default. It is not obligated to do so.
It would have been utterly improper for the Election Commission to consider any of Orly's garbage. Their decision not to admit the garbage will be upheld on review by the highly discretionary abuse of discretion standard.
It is unlikely a court will grant Orly pro hac vice status to abuse the legal system of Indiana.