COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – On a 4-0 vote, the Michigan State Board of Canvassers turned down a recall petition on Tuesday which was filed against Branch County Prosecutor Ralph Kimble by Alexia and Stephen Rish of Coldwater.
The board meeting was to determine if the petition states factually and clearly each reason for Kimble’s recall.
But the four member board made up of two Republicans and two Democrats felt the language in the petition failed to do that.
They also felt some of the language was ambiguous and it went to motivation and state of mind as opposed to being clearly factual.
The proposed petition stated, “In consideration of the recent consensus of ALL of the local judges of Branch County by reason of their intimate professional relationship and knowledge of Chief County Prosecutor Ralph Kimble, in their combined request for the necessity of an official Investigation of Ralph Kimble by the Michigan Attorney General and the Michigan State Police concerning alleged improprieties engaged in by the Chief County Prosecutor in the discharge of his official duties; and in consideration that Ralph Kimble has been named as a Defendant in an ongoing lawsuit alleging sexual Harassment in the Branch County Courthouse by a former employee of the Branch County Prosecutor’s office: We, the undersigned, request a RECALL of Ralph Kimble as Branch County Prosecutor.”
A spokesman for the board said they seem to have an issue with the “intimate professional relationship” wording in the first sentence.
If and when a recall petition is approved, 2,858 valid signatures would have to collected from Branch County registered voters for the recall to get on the ballot which was 25 percent of the ballots cast in the county during the 2014 gubernatorial election. According to state law, a county prosecutor can only be removed from office by the governor or by a recall election.
Even though the petition language was turned down on Tuesday, backers of a recall can submit another petition. But even if they get approval from the Board of Canvassers, there is no hope of having a May recall election because of the time parameters in which enough valid signatures can be collected. Their best hope would be to get it on the November general election ballot.
Kimble has denied accusations made in a sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed against him and Branch County in October 2017 by former county employee Evon Staley. Kimble claims the suit was filed in retaliation after Staley was fired over a marijuana bust conducted by the Southwest Michigan Enforcement Team on her property. He has also been the subject of investigations by the State Attorney Generals Office and the Michigan State Police over his conduct in recent months.
