Jan 13, 2005 – Carmen Golden, who was certified as a member of the St. Croix Board of Elections in November and then decertified in December, has filed a suit against the board.(See "There May Be Change on the Board of Elections").
Her husband Arnold joins her in the suit filed Tuesday in the St. Croix Division of the District Court of the Virgin Islands by attorney Pamela Lynn Colon.
Besides the board, other named defendants are the V.I. government, Evelyn James, chairman of the board; John Abramson, supervisor of elections; Raymond Williams, Hope Gibson, and Mary Louise Moorehead Evans.
In a situation becoming like a game of musical chairs with three or four people trying to sit on one seat on the board of elections, Golden's suit changes the focus.
Hope Gibson, who may be credited with initiating actions that have led to the present predicament, barely gets a mention in the nine-page filing. (See "Board of Elections Results Challenged").
Instead, attention is focused on Williams who the suit names as "a member of the St. Croix Board of Elections improperly and unlawfully seated on that board as a Democrat."
The suit states that Williams was elected in the 2002 General Election as an Independent but subsequently "John Abramson, supervisor of elections, unlawfully declared that Mr. Williams was occupying a seat on the Board reserved for a member of the Democratic party."
According to the suit, this led to only one candidate being chosen in the Democratic primary. Golden was the second largest vote-getter in the primary.
Before the filing of the suit, the controversy focused mostly on claims by Gibson and Golden, each claiming to have won the General Election as non-Democratic candidates. Gibson contested Golden's right to the seat because Golden was a registered Democrat at the time of the election. Golden received more write-in votes than Gibson. Mary Louise Moorehead, who also received write-in votes, later jumped into the fray.(See "Third Candidate Hops in Where Hope Was").
The board has not certified anyone to take Golden's place on the board.
The suit asks that the defendants be "permanently enjoined from decertifying Carmen Golden as the duly elected winning write-in candidate in the 2004 election for the St. Croix Board of Elections."
The suit also asks for compensatory damages " to good will, reputation, and any loss of income."
Finally, the suit asks that the plaintiffs receive attorney's fees, costs and expenses incurred in the action.

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