Tuscaloosa school board case set for trial

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A judge in Tuscaloosa says an election contest alleging voting irregularities by fraternities and sororities at the University of Alabama can proceed to trial. Circuit Judge Jim Robert denied a request by Cason Kirby to throw out an election contest filed by Kelly Horwitz. She lost a Tuscaloosa school board race to Kirby by 87 votes in August. At a hearing Tuesday, Horowitz's attorney, James Anderson, said as many as 397 fraternity or sorority members may have cast tainted votes. Kirby's attorney, Andrew Campbell, said Anderson was using unsubstantiated media reports. The judge issued an order Thursday saying the grounds for the election challenge were "very general in nature and lacking in evidentiary value," but they were enough to go to trial on Oct. 31.