The Florida presidential tally turned even more chaotic yesterday, as a series of court rulings and reversals left both camps unsure how much longer the counting will go on.

Tyler Professor of Constitutional Law Laurence H. Tribe '62, who is leading the Democratic effort to keep manual recounts going in three counties, said in an interview last night that there were still five or six legal battles underway in the state, adding "the ultimate outcome will depend on Florida law."

Katherine Harris, Florida's secretary of state, set a deadline of 2 p.m. today for several Florida counties to explain why they were continuing to count votes by hand. A ruling in state court yesterday gave Harris--who served as Bush's Florida campaign co-chair--the discretion to decide whether any further votes should be tallied.

Harris said last night that the current tally had Bush in the lead by exactly 300 votes.

Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitz, who is representing Palm Beach county residents, last night called Harris "a Republican operative" and accused the Bush forces of trying to stage "a coup." Asked which side seemed to have the momentum, Dershowitz said "I think Bush is outsleazing Gore."

Florida governor Jeb Bush countered that Harris was "doing the right thing."

The centerpiece of yesterday's legal action came in state court, where judge Terry P. Lewis upheld the 5 p.m. deadline that Harris had announced for certifying all votes. That decision seemed to be a victory for the Bush forces, who are trying to end all recounts, but in his decision Lewis also said Harris should exercise discretion, leaving a small window of hope for the Gore forces.

Jenny Backus, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, countered: "With three counties left to complete hand counts, the outcome of this election is very much in play. We need a full, fair and accurate count to go forward, and we're hopeful the secretary of state heeds the guidance and directives of today's court decision, and does not act in an arbitrary manner."