Coleman seeks longer appeal schedule

ST. PAUL - Norm Coleman proposes that his and Al Franken's campaigns have until mid-May to file written arguments in the U.S. Senate election case headed for a Minnesota Supreme Court appeal.

Attorneys for Coleman wrote to the high court Wednesday that "the parties, and the court, must be given enough time to fully develop and consider the issues on appeal." Coleman's team proposes a May 15 deadline for written briefs. The court then would set a date for oral arguments.

Franken proposed Tuesday that the Supreme Court set a May 4 deadline for the campaigns' written arguments, with "expedited" oral arguments to follow.

Coleman earlier this week filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, asking the state's top jurists to overturn a special three-judge panel's recent decision that Democrat Franken won the Senate election by 312 votes.

The former Republican senator argues that trial rulings by the three-judge panel violated the Constitution and that some 4,400 uncounted absentee ballots still should be counted.

While the campaigns are proposing schedules for the appeal, the Supreme Court will determine the case schedule.