CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) - A legal challenge to Cordele’s December runoff election has been dismissed by a Crisp County judge, ending a month-long dispute over the Commissioner-at-large race.

The lawsuit was filed by Joshua Deriso, who lost his re-election bid to Joe Joe Wright in the December 2nd runoff. Deriso alleged irregularities at the polls, including claims of vote buying and electioneering within 200 feet of polling locations.

“There were a lot of people who were paid what we asserted in the complaint, $15 to go and vote for particular candidates,” Deriso said. “There was a poll worker who was telling people not to vote for me. And Royce Reeves was bringing people to vote and telling people to vote for himself and Joe Joe Wright within 150 feet.”

Case dismissed on filing deadline

The judge never ruled on those claims. Instead, the case was dismissed on a technicality. Election results were certified on December 5th. Under Georgia law, Deriso had five days to file his challenge and that deadline included weekends. The petition was filed December 11th — one day too late.

In his order filed Thursday, Judge McCorvey wrote that the court “is without jurisdiction to decide the merits of the election contest” because the petition was untimely.

“I can disagree with it being a day late on filing,” Deriso said. “We still believe there is a due process because there is no way to know when the election will be certified.”

County Attorney Tommy Coleman, who was not involved in the case, said the dismissal is final.

“Deriso and Owens are out, Wright and Singletary are in,” Coleman said. “The judge just did it on the simplest thing that it wasn’t filed properly so it’s dismissed.”

Community reaction and what’s next

Some Cordele residents said they weren’t shocked by the legal challenge but now hope the city can move forward.

“We have to settle with the results we got and look at ways to work together and conceptualize tangible results for the community,” said Davontae Hunt, a Cordele resident. “Cordele can be better, so let’s do what we can to push this community forward.”

Deriso said he hopes the city moves forward but encourages voters to stay engaged.

“Our rights always will be threatened and taken advantage of if we don’t stand up and do something about it,” he said. “This election could go down in Cordele as illegitimate.”

The judge’s order was filed Wednesday. Joe Joe Wright was sworn in as Commissioner-at-large earlier this week.

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