Opinion ID: 1129047
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: wright miller

Text: At the outset, this Court must sua sponte dismiss that portion of the petition relating to the Reverend Temperance E. Wright as a challenger to incumbent Gwendolyn S. Cherry for the State Legislature in Dist. 106 (Hialeah). Mrs. Cherry elected to pursue her remedy in the District Court of Appeal, First District, on August 1, 1972. The District Court denied relief in an opinion filed August 4, 1972, Case No. R-422, styled State ex rel. Cherry v. Stone, Secretary of State, and Temperance E. Wright, 265 So.2d 56 (Fla.App. 1st 1972), on the ground that mandamus was an inappropriate remedy. Mrs. Cherry then invoked the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court of Leon County and, since that litigation is now being entertained in a court of competent jurisdiction, the jurisdiction of this Court has, necessarily, been ousted. The Attorney General upon oral argument voluntarily withdrew the assertions as to Respondent Miller and conceded that he had duly complied with the law, was qualified as a candidate for the House of Representatives and should remain on the ballot. Respondent Richard Stone, as Secretary of State, is charged under Fla. Stat. § 15.13, [3] F.S.A., with general supervision and administration of the election laws, which laws include Fla. Stat. § 99.012(2), F.S.A., providing as follows: (2) No individual may qualify as a candidate for public office who holds another elective or appointive office, whether state, county or municipal, the term of which or any part thereof runs concurrent with the term of office for which he seeks to qualify without resigning from such office not less than ten days (10) prior to the first day of qualifying for the office he intends to seek. Said resignation shall be effective not later than the date upon which he would assume office, if elected to the office to which seeks to qualify, the expiration date of the term of the office which he presently holds, or the general election day at which his successor is elected, whichever occurs earliest. With regard to elective offices, said resignation shall create a vacancy in said office thereby permitting persons to qualify as candidates for nomination and election to that office in the same manner as if the term of such public officer were otherwise scheduled to expire; or, in regard to elective municipal or home rule charter county offices, said resignation shall create a vacancy which may be filled for the unexpired term of the resigned officer in such manner as provided in the municipal or county charter. This does not apply to political party offices. By way of caveat we note that the 1971 session of the Legislature in An act relating to transportation,  Ch. 71-373, tacked on a § 10 amending § 99.012, effective October 1, 1971, to provide as follows: No person who serves as a member of any appointive board or authority without salary shall be in violation of this section by reason of holding any such office. None of respondents is in this category.