Chuck Turner vows lawsuit as Council sets dates for elections to replace him

The City Council set Feb.15 and March 15 as the dates for the preliminary and final elections to replace ousted felon Chuck Turner.

Only Turner ally Charles Yancey voted against the measure. Yancey read a letter from Turner's lawyer, threatening a federal lawsuit because, he said, the whole process of ejecting Turner and setting the dates would require an act of the state legislature and in the meantime disenfranchises District 7 voters. Council President Mike Ross rejected that theory, said the city charter lets the council toss members for good reasons and set dates for special elections to replace members. He then called for a vote on the dates, which passed 11-1.