Prutch v. Town of Quartzsite

HOWE, Judge.

¶ 1 John Prutch appeals the dismissal of his complaint against the Town of Quartzsite, its Town Council and Town Clerk, and Mike Jewitt (collectively, “Quartzsite”), challenging Jewitt’s election to the Town Council. We hold that the trial court erred as a matter of law in dismissing the complaint based on the defense of laches. That defense requires a trial court to find not only that a plaintiff caused prejudicial delay, but also that the plaintiff acted unreasonably in causing the delay. The trial court erred in applying laches because although it found that Prutch caused…