Judge rules Mapp and Smiley can be on same line

Superior Court Judge William L'E. Wertheimer's courtroom was crowded with Plainfielders Monday as he heard a thicket of matters pertaining to the June Democratic primary ballot.

To mayoral candidate Adrian Mapp and Assembly candidate Rick Smiley, the most important question was resolved in their favor: whether they would be allowed to run on the same line (called 'bracketing') as they had filed to do.

After initially raising no objection, County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi had issued a letter last week denying the bracket, which would have left the two candidates on separate lines even though they are running on the same slogan 'New Democrats for Plainfield'.

Wertheimer's ruling means that Mapp, Smiley and the New Democrats' slate of 53 candidates for the Democratic City Committee will all appear in column 'F' on the official ballot.

The attempt to join forces with reform-minded Democrats from Elizabeth and Roselle was denied by Wertheimer as being filed too late.

Wertheimer, known for his razor wit, did not disappoint the crowded courtroom.

In a time when local governments are facing great difficulties, the judge noted the crowded field for the mayoral race and wondered aloud whether there should be a statute requiring psychological testing of candidates, bringing guffaws of laughter from the audience.

With regard to the challenges to the petitions of Bob Ferraro, Martin Cox, Tom Turner and Rebecca Kelly, here's how things sorted out --

• Bob Ferraro, under oath, admitted that while he had been careless with the certification of one petition, the individuals listed on his petitions had all intended to support his nomination;
  
  
• Martin Cox, also under oath, swore that while the first numbered block of four of his five petitions (reserved for the name and address of the person circulating the petition) did contain the names of other persons, he, in fact, had circulated the petitions and entered his name and signature above the printed block as an additional line '1' and swore before a notary that he had himself circulated the petitions;
  
  
• Tom Turner -- the objections to his petition were withdrawn when it became clear there were sufficient signatures even with the challenged items stricken;
  
  
• Rebecca Kelly's petition was held to have a fatal flaw in the circulator's oath; but Kelly lost her chance to stay on the ballot by failing to be present for the hearing.

In ruling to allow the candidacies of Cox and Ferraro to stand, Wertheimer made it quite clear that the outcome with regard to both might have been different had a handwriting expert been present to testify on whether the signatures on several lines on multiple petitions were made by the same hand.

"I think the judge was quite fair and even-handed," said Mapp, "and look forward to a vigorous campaign between the several candidates now that judge has made his ruling."

Asked why he thought there were no challenges to his petitions, Mapp said, "Like Martin Cox and Bob Ferraro, I have been at this for quite a while. But I have to say my team was methodical and scrupulous. Every person identified for me to approach was on the voter rolls as a registered Democrat and I never took my eye off the petition as they filled it out -- including making sure there was a signature as well as a printed name and address."

Thus showing one advantage of being detail-oriented.

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-- Dan Damon

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