Court Opinion

ID: 7816149
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:36:51.358978+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:36.525478
License: Public Domain

Ed. F. McFaddin, Associate Justice, (Dissenting). On June 4, 1962, this Court, by a four to three vote, affirmed the judgment of the Trial Court in this case. The Majority and Dissenting Opinions of June 4,1962 may be found in 235 Ark. 258, et seq.; and the basis of such Majority Opinion was that the proof offered by the contestant as to Box 2 of Ward 2 was not sufficient to support the allegations contained in the contestant’s complaint, or to obtain a recount of the votes in said box. A petition for rehearing was duly filed, but this Court was in summer vacation from June 4th to September 3rd. Now, the petition for rehearing has been heard and granted; the Majority Opinion of June 4th has been overruled ; the Circuit Court judgment has been reversed; and a new trial has been ordered in regard to Box 2 of Ward 2. In short, three of the Justices who voted for the Opinion of June 4th have changed their minds, as they have a perfect right to do. But before I prepared what was the Majority Opinion of June 4th, I read every word of the transcript and studied all of the applicable law. I still maintain that what was the Majority Opinion of June 4th was and is the correct rule of law on the facts. So I dissent from the present Majority Opinion, which allows a recount of the votes in Box 2 of Ward 2; and I point to my then Majority Opinion of June 4th as containing all the reasons which support my present dissent.