§ 11-16-311. Petition alleging fraud - Bond - Hearing - Answer - Judgment - Ineligibility for office - Liability of contestant - Damages.

When a petition alleging fraud is filed, said petition must be accompanied by a cash bond of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), running in favor of the contestee and conditioned upon payment of any and all liabilities or judgments arising from the contest so filed.  In said petition, contestant must allege the specific act constituting such alleged fraud and the names of the alleged perpetrators of such fraud.  If such petition is filed in the manner herein provided, the district judge of the county in which the alleged fraud occurred, or such other judge as may be assigned by the Supreme Court, shall hear and determine said issue without delay or continuance of more than one (1) day.  On the day of such hearing, the contestee may file answer to such petition or may file cross petition, setting forth in detail, as required of a petitioner herein, such claim of fraud.  An original petition or cross petition must be under oath and under penalty of perjury. The judge shall try and determine the issues formed by such pleadings and render such judgment as he or she may deem just and proper, according to the evidence submitted.  The decision of said district judge shall be final as to any changes in the total votes, and a copy of such judgment and decision shall be furnished the officer who presided at the town meeting. In any case where fraud is proved on the part of a nominee, he or she shall be declared ineligible for the office for which he or she was nominated.  In all cases where a petition is filed which alleges fraud, but after hearing said allegations are not reasonably sustained by competent evidence, the contestant shall be civilly liable in damages to the contestee for all damages sustained, including a reasonable attorney fee and all reasonable and proper costs of conducting such contest; and in the event it be alleged and found that such petition was frivolous in nature, the contestee may also be allowed punitive damages to be paid by said petitioner.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 105, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 1988.