Appeals Court Throws Out Rowland Lawsuit

Former State Representative Donna Rowland has once again been told she can’t take a former challenger to court.

Rowland and Dr. Rishi Saxena have been engaged in a game of legal back and forth since 2008. That’s when Saxena contested Rowland’s victory in the election to represent Murfreesboro, claiming she didn’t live in the district. Rowland’s election was declared valid by a committee of the House of Representatives, so she kept her seat. But she turned around and sued Saxena in court for the money she’d spent on attorney fees.

The case was dismissed. Rowland appealed.

Now the state appeals court has weighed in, essentially shutting down Rowland’s efforts to recoup the money through the court system. According to the decision, if anyone were to tell Saxena to pay Rowland’s legal costs, it would have to be the Tennessee House of Representatives panel that determined the election’s validity.