Cuba Timber to seek official ruling on motion to recuse

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
April 2, 2004
Lauderdale County's complaint against Cuba Timber Company Inc., won't proceed until a motion for County Court Judge Frank M. Coleman to recuse himself is decided, the timber company's attorney said.
A panel of state Supreme Court justices ruled this week that Coleman did not have to recuse himself from the case. But Greg Malta, representing Cuba Timber, said the ruling neither grants, nor denies the motion.
Malta said Thursday that his client will pursue an official ruling on the motion either from Judge Coleman himself, or before the entire Supreme Court.
Lauderdale County filed a lawsuit in October alleging that Cuba Timber negligently and recklessly damaged two county roads while cutting timber and logging last year.
The roads the county claims the company damaged are Cole Road, in the amount of $20,548, and Alamucha-Whynot Road, with damages totaling $7,079.
The complaint states that the county requested Cuba Timber pay for the damages in letters sent to the company president, Steve Goodman, in July and August.
A defamation cross-claim filed by the timber company seeking more than $2 million in damages against District 5 Supervisor Ray Boswell was dismissed by Judge Coleman in December.