JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Oct. 10 -- Missouri Secretary of State Judith Moriarty Monday held fast to her position, despite a scheduled state Supreme Court hearing to determine whether she should leave office immediately. Moriarty was named on three counts of impeachment by the state House last week for illegally putting her son's name on the primary election ballot.
On Friday, Richard A. Hanson was sworn in as secretary of state but Moriarty refused to leave her office. The Missouri Supreme Court is scheduled to meet Tuesday to hear arguments on whether Moriarty should leave office immediately pending a trial on the impeachment charges. No date has been set for the trial. Moriarty is charged with misconduct for backdating her son's filing papers. She already has been convicted on misdemeanor charges in circuit court. 'I will not be chased out of town as I have done nothing wrong,' Moriarty vowed. At issue is whether state law requires Moriarty to step aside until her trial. The attorney general says yes; her attorney says the law is unconstitutional. The statute reads: 'If any officer shall be impeached, he is hereby suspended from exercising his office after he shall be notified there of until his acquittal.' Moriarty was notified at 6:12 p.m. Thursday.
