Mayor Jim Fouts not finished yet, announces lawsuit against Warren City Council in re-election bid

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Warren's mayor isn't done fighting for a spot on the ballot and an opportunity for a fifth term in the city's executive seat. 

Jim Fouts said Wednesday he intends to try his hand in courts with a civil rights lawsuit alleging the city council's term limits law specifically targeted the official to keep him off the ballot.

"It was an exclusive proposal to limit my right to be on the ballot," said Fouts.

The mayor, sounding angry at times during the press conference, accused the authors of the term limits law for passing the rule that would prevent him from running again. The Michigan Supreme Court upheld a ruling by a lower court that went against Fouts in May.

On Wednesday, Fouts accused the city council violated his constitutional rights.

"I do feel this is an important constitutional question that could have far-reaching repercussions," he said during a press conference.

Nabih Ayad, an attorney for Fouts, said he has no interest in the previous differences between the two parties, and was only focused on the mayor's rights.

"I don't care about that. I don't give a crap whether the mayor or the city council like each other," Ayad said. "We're constitutional rights attorneys, what we look for is 'this a violation of our constitutional rights."

The announcement comes less than a week from the primary race for mayor.

MORE: Warren mayor cannot run for 5th term after Michigan high court decision

Fouts also sent a warning shot at one of the candidates for mayor, saying "and I would note, that the maker of the motion, Mr. Green, is now running for mayor."

Warren City Council President Pat Green pushed back on that implication.

"I don't have any problem against running against Mayor Fouts. It’s the residents that asked for this and if you don't think they asked for this then go back and look at the record," Green said. "Seventy percent of the people voted ‘yes’ for this."

After the press conference, Fouts said he was challenging the law, but the intention of the law. 

"No I'm not challenging that (term limits), I'm challenging the fact I was granted five terms and the council made an effort to turn that around in a very wrong and immoral way," he said.

No court date has been set.