Robbins Gets 2nd Try at Reelection : Council: A judge gives Compton councilwoman one more day to get a 20th valid signature on nominating petition. Her opponents aren’t happy.

A Superior Court judge this week gave Councilwoman Jane D. Robbins another day to collect one more valid signature that she needs on her nomination petition to run for reelection April 16.

The veteran councilwoman was barred from the ballot last week after failing to turn in the 20 valid signatures of registered voters required by the Compton municipal code. Her nominating petition contained 21 signatures, but two were disqualified.

Robbins arrived at the city clerk’s office Wednesday morning to pick up the nominating petition. “I’m just thrilled to pieces,” she said. She predicted that she would have no trouble rounding up another valid signature by today.

Meantime, four other candidates seeking the 4th District council seat were considering whether to challenge the judge’s ruling.

Robbins’ failure to collect the required signatures shows that she has a complacent attitude about complying with city procedures, said candidate Jean Sanders. Another candidate, Richard Bonner, said he was disappointed with the judge’s ruling but that ultimately it will be the voters who signal whether they are happy with Robbins’ performance.

Judge Kenneth Gale ruled that Robbins should have another chance because the deadline for collecting signatures and filing them with City Clerk Charles Davis was on a Saturday, considered a holiday under California case law, and should have been extended until Monday, the next working day.

Davis argued that even if the deadline had been on the following Monday or Tuesday, Robbins would have turned in the same two invalid signatures.

Robbins, who is seeking her fourth full term on the council, turned in 21 signatures by the Saturday deadline on March 2. There are 30 spaces on the petition, and most candidates fill all 30 in case some are ruled invalid.

The city clerk and his staff check the signatures on all the petitions against records kept by the County Registrar of Voters in order to determine if the signatures belong to registered voters in Compton.

In Robbins’ case, Davis ruled that two of her 21 signatures were invalid. A woman had signed for her husband and one person who signed the petition was not registered to vote in Compton.

This year’s election is expected to be a fiercely fought battle because control of the city is at stake, particularly in the area of redevelopment. Three council members, who disagree over what direction the city should take to revitalize its economy, are running for mayor to fill the vacancy left after the death last fall of Mayor Walter R. Tucker.

Robbins’ seat and a council seat being vacated by Councilman Maxcy D. Filer are up for grabs. Filer is running for mayor along with Councilwomen Patricia A. Moore and Bernice Woods.

Filer’s son Kelvin represented Robbins in court Tuesday.