“Chucky” Hansen Case Heads To Supreme Court For The Third Time

The Brian v. Fawkes lawsuit that has consumed the Territory since August continues three weeks away from the General Election, as the case has, for the third time, been appealed to the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands.

The motion was filed about a week ago by Bryan, who has stated from the onset that Alicia “Chucky” Hansen should not be allowed to run on the November 4 General Election ballot because of crimes she committed involving moral turpitude. The most recent filing, however, will not base its argument upon the aforementioned; instead, it will rely on the dispute that Sen. Hansen’s ineligibility to be on the Nov. 4 ballot is because of her failure to file her nomination papers on time–an argument the Supreme Court has twice agreed with.

No date has been set for the court hearing, but if any resolution is to come before Nov. 4, an announcement should be made soon.

Almost two weeks ago, Superior Court of the Virgin Islands Judge, Douglas Brady, handed down what had appeared to be the final judgement on the Bryan v. Fawkes matter when he denied Bryan’s motion to remove Hansen from the Nov. 4 ballot. The judge opined that, “in light of the fact that the pardon removed the sole impediment to Hansen’s prior ineligibility, Bryan as the moving party failed to carry the burden of persuading the court to impose contempt sanctions.”

But the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands has agreed with Bryan twice before–first when it originally ordered the removal of Sen. Hansen from the ballot and the other when the Attorney General’s office filed a motion with the Supreme Court to rehear the same case. The Supreme Court denied Atty. General Vincent Fraiser’s request and again aligned with Bryan, stating that the Court stood by its original judgment.

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