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Court of Appeals rules Warren Mayor Jim Fouts can't seek fifth term

Court ruling disqualifies Warren Mayor Jim Fouts from seeking fifth term
Court ruling disqualifies Warren Mayor Jim Fouts from seeking fifth term 01:23

(CBS DETROIT) - The State Court of Appeals has ruled that Warren Mayor Jim Fouts cannot seek a fifth term in office. 

"Get rid of this technical knockout, and let's have a vote of the people, and if Jim Fouts loses then that's fine," said Fouts. 

Fouts, who was first elected mayor in 2007, had filed for paperwork in January 2023 to run for a fifth term despite a 2020 amendment to the city's charter.

The amendment required all city elected offices to have a three-term limit or 12 years. Prior to the amendment, the mayor's office had a five-term limit or 20 years. 

Last month, the Macomb County Circuit Court ruled that the term limit law could not be applied retroactively to the current Mayor.  

The Warren City Council appealed that ruling. Then on Friday, the court's decision was reversed, disqualifying Fouts as a candidate.

"They have chosen not to respect previous court rulings, and so I'm not sure whether the fix is in," said Fouts. "I hope the election commission chooses to appeal it, but I'm not quite sure they will," Fouts said.

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