A Jefferson County resident has filed a lawsuit alleging he was improperly prevented from filing as a candidate for Justice of the Peace during the 2025 filing period.
According to court records, Garland Trice filed the complaint Dec. 30 in Jefferson County Circuit Court, claiming Jefferson County Clerk Shawndra Taggart and her office denied him the opportunity to file to run for Justice of the Peace for District 7.
In the lawsuit, Trice alleges he entered the Jefferson County Courthouse on Nov. 12, 2025, at approximately 11:35 a.m. and went first to the Democratic Party filing table. He claims his paperwork was reviewed and approved by party officials, with only one document remaining to be completed and the required filing fee to be paid at the clerk’s office.
Trice states he arrived inside the county clerk’s office at approximately 11:59 a.m., before the noon filing deadline, but no clerk was available to accept his paperwork. He alleges no announcements were made regarding the impending deadline, no signage was posted indicating the closing time, and no official clock was visible to notify candidates of the exact deadline.
According to the complaint, Trice says he was second in line inside the clerk’s office and waited behind another customer. He alleges that Chief Deputy Clerk Tiffany Lowery later stated he arrived at 12:02 p.m., a claim Trice disputes. The lawsuit further alleges Lowery contacted the State Board of Election Commissioners and was advised not to accept Trice’s filing if it was received after noon.
Because his filing was not accepted, Trice says he submitted his paperwork under protest to document his intent to run for office. He also requested a meeting with County Clerk Shawndra Taggart, which he claims was denied.
In a letter dated Nov. 17, 2025, Taggart stated that Trice’s filing was not timely. According to the lawsuit, Taggart based her decision on information provided by her chief deputy clerk and advice from State Board of Election Commissioner Chris Madison, who advised that candidate filings must be in the clerk’s office by noon with no exceptions.
Trice contends the decision was made using inaccurate information and without a full review of the facts. He further alleges that no clear filing instructions, official timekeeping device or guidance was provided to candidates. The lawsuit also challenges statements made by another deputy clerk, Eric Mayfield, who publicly stated Trice entered the clerk’s office at 12:02 p.m., a claim Trice denies.
The lawsuit alleges Taggart relied on false statements and failed to implement procedures to properly guide or assist candidates during the filing process. Trice is asking the court to review the clerk’s actions and determine whether he was unlawfully denied the opportunity to appear on the ballot.
As of Wednesday morning no response had been filed by Taggart or the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office, and a court date has not yet been scheduled.
Deltaplex News will continue to follow the case and provide updates as they become available.
