A Jefferson Circuit Court judge has set April 29 for arguments asking
him to clarify his ruling that appears to strike down Louisville's
dangerous-dog ordinance.
Judge Martin McDonald's decision Feb. 26 overturns two earlier
versions of the ordinance on the grounds that the Louisville Metro
Council's Democrats held an improper meeting before the initial
version was passed. Those versions were passed in December 2006 and
April 2007.
But it was unclear whether McDonald also meant to strike down a third
version of the ordinance the council passed in December; that version
became law.
City officials have said they will continue enforcing the ordinance
because they don't believe McDonald's order applies to the current
ordinance.
Attorney Jon Fleischaker, who represents the Louisville Kennel Club
and the League of Kentucky Sportsmen in trying to overturn the
ordinance, filed a motion last week asking the judge to incorporate
the current version in his ruling to make it clear that it has been
struck down.
Lawyers with the Jefferson County attorney's office also filed a
motion asking the judge to "amend or vacate" his judgment. They argue
that McDonald's ruling should not apply to the April or December 2007
versions of the ordinance.
