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Federal Judge Lifts Order Allowing Michigan's Vote Recount: Appeal In The Works

DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - The ongoing legal tussle to re-examine the Michigan voting tally from the November presidential election looking like there will be another chapter.

On Wednesday evening a federal judge lifted an order allowing Michigan's vote count to continue --effectively shutting down the recount for now.

In the ruling U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith said Green Party candidate Jill Stein failed to demonstrate that she was entitled to a recount as an aggrieved candidate as defined by state law and that she lacked evidence that there was voter fraud.

Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick says that there are several options including appealing the ruling - which Green Party candidate Jill Stein says in a statement immediately following the ruling that is what she will do.


While Elections Director Chris Thomas tells WWJ that the recount has stopped. "We have stopped the recount. There are some areas of the state where we are just finishing up some precincts ... but basically what has happened as a result of court action is the recount has been stopped."

An appeal is pending with the Michigan Supreme Court -- the court could reject the case - which would end the issue or could accept the appeal for review but the recount would be on hold while that is underway.

The planned meeting by the Board of State Canvassers on Thursday was cancelled after the ruling by Goldsmith.

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