High court agrees to
fast-track appeal of
resign-to-run ruling

The Hawaii justices could
decide in April when Harris
must quit to run for governor

---

By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com

The state Supreme Court can rule as early as next month on whether Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris must resign his office to campaign for governor.

In a one-page order yesterday, the high court agreed to fast-track Harris' appeal of Circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna's March 11 bombshell ruling, which found that Harris should have resigned in May when he filed his organizational papers for the gubernatorial race.

"This is a clear indication that they are in a hurry-up mode," said Bill Deeley, attorney for former judge and state lawmaker Russell Blair, who sued Harris in January, saying he was violating the state's resign-to-run law.

Under yesterday's order, the Supreme Court could rule on Harris' appeal as early as April 21 under an expedited briefing schedule agreed to by both parties.

The ruling, authored by Associate Justice Steven Levinson, gave Harris' attorneys until April 9 to file their opening briefs. Blair's lawyers will have until April 16 to file their answer, and Harris will then have until April 21 to file a response.

The justices said they can rule once the case is fully briefed, but are not required to decide by any time schedule.

The case can be decided prior to April 21 if either side files their briefs before the deadlines.

In wake of McKenna's ruling, Harris agreed to suspend all campaign activities, including fund raising and campaign speeches, until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling on the dispute.

Harris, who plans to run for governor this year as a Democrat, has urged the high court to expedite its appeal, saying it affects other elected officials such as Council members John DeSoto and Jon Yoshimura, considering a campaign for higher office.

Harris previously has said that he would resign as mayor on or near July 23, when he files his nomination papers.

"The campaign is very pleased at the (Supreme Court's) decision," said Harris campaign spokeswoman Ruth Ann Becker, "and we are confident that the Supreme Court will decide in the Harris campaign's favor."