NJ Court: Assemblywoman-Elect Can Be Sworn In

A state appellate court has stayed a lower court ruling that overturned election results in a New Jersey Assembly race.

The ruling made public Monday means Assemblywoman-elect Gabriela Mosquera will get to take office Tuesday.

Mosquera defeated Republican Shelley Lovett in the 4th Legislative District in November. But a state judge overturned the results this week, finding that Mosquera had not lived long enough in the southern Jersey district.

Lovett had sued because Mosquera moved into the district in December 2010. The judge found Mosquera fell short of the one year residency requirement in the state constitution, and Mosquera immediately appealed the decision.

In its ruling, the appeals panel found that Mosquera had a good enough chance of winning her appeal that she should be sworn in to the seat.