TAMPA An appeals court on Friday ruled in favor of the city of Tampa in its battle with a former police captain forced to leave his job when he ran against Mayor Pam Iorio in the March 2007. The state's Resign to Run law requires law enforcement officers to resign when running against someone with supervisory power over them. Marion Serious Lewis, who served on the police force for 25 years, countered that only police Chief Steve Hogue had that power. City attorneys argued that Iorio was the ultimate authority. A lower court in July 2007 ruled Lewis should not have had to resign, saying that the city's interpretation of the law would mean that no city employee could challenge an incumbent mayor in an election. Lewis now works as assistant director of security for Saddlebrook Golf and Tennis Resort. He said he has not discussed with his attorneys yet whether to take the case to the Florida Supreme Court. TAMPA Scriven confirmed as federal judge Mary Scriven, a federal magistrate in Tampa and a well-known figure in the Tampa Bay legal community, was confirmed as a U.S. district judge on Friday. "It's humbling and challenging," she said. Scriven, 45, will replace retiring U.S. Judge Patricia C. Fawsett, who serves in Orlando, where Scriven said she will also work. In 1997, Scriven became the first black woman to be a federal magistrate in the Middle District of Florida, a role she filled for 11 years. ST. PETERSBURG Fired Times employee alleges discrimination A former St. Petersburg Times employee has sued the newspaper, alleging he was denied a promotion and later fired because he is black. Clifford Coleman, a former driver and shift manager, filed the lawsuit in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court on Sept. 15. Coleman contends he was not given the opportunity to apply for a shift superintendent position that later was filled by a less qualified white man. He also claims he was fired in 2007 for allowing an unqualified person to drive a truck even though he never gave the person the go-ahead to drive the truck. He claims in the lawsuit that white employees were involved in the situation, but were not disciplined. "We are confident that the Times did not discriminate against Mr. Coleman because of his race," said Times attorney Alison Steele. TAMPA Man gets 12 years for dragging officer Deemed a habitual felony offender, Legrand Pratt received a 12-year prison sentence Friday for dragging a Tampa police officer four blocks in a stolen Corvette. Pratt, 43, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder on a law enforcement officer. In February, he hit the gas as Officer Kiet Truong questioned him, and the two men struggled for control as the car sped down Beach Street. Truong skidded onto the pavement and, after a police chase, Pratt crashed into a telephone pole and the car caught fire. CLEARWATER Pinellas elections official criticized on early voting The League of Women Voters' national president and Sen. Barack Obama's campaign are faulting Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark for having too few early voting sites for the upcoming election. Since the 2006 election, Clark has offered early voting only at the supervisor's offices in Clearwater, Largo and St. Petersburg, as required by law. Clark has steadfastly defended her position. Having early voting countywide does little to boost turnout, she argues, and the expense - about $250,000 per election - is too great.