FAMU’s SGA president-elect files injunction to keep win

Students show their support for Justin Bruno, while he told reporters how he intends to fight to keep his election win.
Photo by St. Clair Murraine

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer

Justin Bruno has asked a Leon County court to assist him in his fight for “what’s right” in his attempt to prevent his recent election as president of FAMU’s Student Government Association from being overturned.
Bruno and his running mate Devin Harrison told a throng of reporters Monday morning that their victory in an election held on Feb. 16 is being questioned by the SGA’s Supreme Court. It ruled that voting violations were cited at a precinct at FAMU’s law school in Orlando, giving ground for ordering a second election.
Attorney Mutaquee Akbar, who is representing the Bruno-Harrison team, said he filed an injunction Monday afternoon to let the election of his client stand. The injunction was filed in Leon County Second Judicial Court.
“I don’t believe they have any grounds to call for a new election,” Akbar told the Outlook, just before filing the injunction around mid-afternoon. “The reason being , the errors that did take place at the college of law precinct did not affect the overall results.”
The main point of contention is the lack of supervision at the law school precinct, where the poll opened later than scheduled and by SGA rules closed later. Ballots also weren’t signed by the precinct’s supervisor.
Supervisor of election Anthony Cooper has admitted all of those points, Bruno said. That prompted an appeal by Bruno’s opponents that led to the verdict by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, FAMU sent members of the media copies of a notice to the candidates from both teams, announcing that they can begin campus-wide campaigning March 23 with March 29 being voting day.
However, the Bruno-Harrison team contended that protocol wasn’t followed because the appeal filed by their opponents came later than the required 72 hours.
“We didn’t win by being