Del Papa urges Supreme Court to back Gore

Monday, Dec. 4, 2000 | 11:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa joined other Democratic attorneys general in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Vice President Al Gore's bid to win Florida's electoral votes.

But her office says the issue was nonpartisan.

A group of Democratic attorneys general submitted a "friend of the court" brief to the high court, urging it to dismiss the appeal of Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican who has been awarded the electoral votes by the Florida secretary of state.

The brief said the Supreme Court should not interfere with the ruling of the Florida Supreme Court that sided with Gore in allowing more time for counting the votes.

Nevada's Senior Deputy Attorney General David Wassick said this was a "nonpartisan issue." He said he did not know that only Democrats signed the brief that was prepared by the Iowa attorney general's office. But he said Republicans would probably agree.

"It's a states rights issue," he said. The Florida Supreme Court should be the final say in interpreting the election laws of that state, not the federal courts.

Wassick said Nevadans would prefer a state Supreme Court ruling on Nevada's election issues, not the U.S. Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Friday. The brief by the Democrat attorneys general said the Supreme Court should "respect the decision of the Florida Supreme Court as an accurate, binding interpretation of Florida law."