Lawyers eliminate three votes in trial

The vote count from the Coeur d’Alene City Council election last November changed Wednesday after attorneys in an election challenge lawsuit agreed to eliminate three votes deemed illegal due to residency issues.

In a trial in Kootenai County 1st District Court, Jim Brannon is challenging the City Council election, in which he lost to incumbent Councilman Mike Kennedy by five votes.

That victory was winnowed to a four-vote margin following the agreement Wednesday because two of the votes in question were cast for Kennedy and one was cast for Brannon, said attorney Mike Haman, who is representing the city of Coeur d’Alene. The attorneys agreed that the three voters in question did not legally reside in the city at the time of the election.

The trial before Judge Charles Hosack continues today at 9 a.m.