{"id":2075305,"date":"2023-10-21T18:31:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T22:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T18:33:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T22:33:46","slug":"judge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Viejo ordered to pay $700k in legal fees for term limit lawsuits by judge."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2075305&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Mission Viejo\u2063 Faces Potential $700,000 Legal Fee in Lawsuit \u2064Over Councilmembers&#8217; Terms<\/h2>\n<p>Mission Viejo,\u2063 California,\u200d is at risk of\u200b paying up to \u2062$700,000 in legal fees to a resident who\u200c sued the city, claiming that \u200dall of its \u2063councilmembers unlawfully extended their terms in \u2063office.<\/p>\n<p>Orange County Superior\u2063 Court Judge \u2063Walter Schwarm recently ordered the city to \u2062pay over $715,000 to Mission Viejo resident\u200c Michael Schlesinger. This ruling was made in four separate orders, with the most\u2064 recent one issued\u200d on October 6.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Mr. Schlesinger brought two lawsuits against the city challenging \u2064the terms of councilors who were elected in \u200c2018 and 2020 during\u2064 the city&#8217;s\u2062 transition from at-large to district voting.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo \u200cShut Down by \u2064Livestock Virus<\/h3>\n<p>8\/4\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Mission Viejo Approves Plans for New Facility Building, Event Space<\/h3>\n<p>3\/28\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In one lawsuit, Judge\u2062 Schwarm ruled in August 2022 to remove councilors \u2063Ed Sachs, Greg Raths,\u2064 and Wendy Bucknam from office. In the second lawsuit, he argued that councilors Trish\u200c Kelley and Brian Goodell should also be included on the \u200b2022 ballot in response to the legal challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Raths and Mr. Sachs were defeated by newcomers \u2063in the November 2022 election, while Ms. \u200cBucknam, Ms. \u2064Kelley, and Mr. Goodell were\u200c reelected.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>The Mission Viejo Civic \u2064Center on June 30,\u200c 2022. (John\u200d Fredricks\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mission Viejo City Attorney \u200bBill \u200cCurley \u200dstated that the city has\u200c appealed the judge&#8217;s decision to remove councilors\u200c Sachs, Raths, and Bucknam from office. The ruling from the appeals court is expected\u2062 in December.<\/p>\n<p>Curley also indicated that the city may appeal the second lawsuit at a later\u2064 date.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Schlesinger expressed satisfaction with Judge\u200b Schwarm&#8217;s order in the first lawsuit,\u2064 stating that it &#8220;vindicates&#8221; his efforts to hold the city \u200dand the \u200dcouncil accountable. He criticized \u2063the\u2062 councilmembers for attempting to \u200bdeprive citizens of their voting rights and \u2063commended the consequences they are\u200b facing.<\/p>\n<p>The legal\u200c dispute arose from a settlement\u2064 that required the city to transition from an at-large system to district elections. \u200bA lawsuit in 2018 claimed that the at-large system disenfranchised Latino voters and violated \u2063the California Voting Rights Act.<\/p>\n<p>As a \u2063result of the switch \u2062to district elections, the \u2063councilors&#8217; terms\u200b were extended from\u200b two\u200d to four \u200cyears. \u2063This meant that Sachs, Raths, and Bucknam, who \u2064were elected in 2018,\u200d were supposed to appear \u2063on the\u200c ballot in 2022 instead of\u200b 2020. Kelley and\u200b Goodell, elected\u2062 in 2020, would have been \u2062up for reelection in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2022, Schlesinger filed a \u2063lawsuit arguing that Kelley and\u2063 Goodell should\u200c also \u200bbe included on the 2022 ballot.\u200d In July, Judge Schwarm ruled in favor \u200cof Schlesinger, requiring all five city councilors to appear on \u200bthe\u200b November ballot.<\/p>\n<p>In May, Schlesinger filed a quo \u2062warranto, a legal request to test \u200cthe \u200blegitimacy of holding public office, to\u200b remove Sachs, Raths, and Bucknam \u200bfrom office due \u2063to expired terms. The request was approved\u2063 by state Attorney General Rob Bonta, but an\u200b appellate court halted their removal after\u2064 the councilors appealed.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the potential financial implications \u200cfor the city of Mission \u200cViejo as a result \u200bof the awarded legal\u2063 fees<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200cAss=&#8221;media&#8221;><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/example.com\/images\/mission-viejo.jpg\" alt=\"Mission Viejo\" \/><figcaption><em>Mission\u2063 Viejo, California<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>According \u2064to the city attorney, William\u2064 H. Curley III, the\u200b total amount of \u2064legal\u200c fees awarded \u2062to \u200dMr. \u2062Schlesinger is currently approximately $715,000. However, the precise amount that the city \u200dwill have to pay is still subject to additional legal \u2064proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuits brought by Mr. Schlesinger were\u2064 centered \u200daround\u200b the \u2064city&#8217;s transition\u2062 from at-large to district voting. This change was implemented \u200cin\u200c response to a demand\u200c letter sent to the city in \u20632017 by a civil rights \u2062advocacy group, which alleged that the at-large voting system was in \u2063violation of the California Voting Rights Act. The letter claimed that the at-large system resulted\u2062 in vote dilution, preventing minority candidates from being elected to\u2063 the city council.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200bresponse to this\u2063 demand letter, the \u2062city of Mission Viejo agreed to transition to a district-based \u200bvoting system. The purpose\u200d of this \u200cchange was \u2062to ensure that each district \u2062had representation that\u2063 accurately reflected its population\u200d and demographics. The city \u200csubsequently held elections \u200cin \u200d2018 and 2020 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits\/\" title=\"Mission Viejo ordered to pay 0k in legal fees for term limit lawsuits by judge.\">elect councilmembers representing \u2063specific districts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, Mr. Schlesinger argued that the \u2063transition process was conducted unlawfully, and\u2064 that the \u200ccouncilmembers elected \u200din \u200c2018 and\u2063 2020 \u2062had extended their terms in office beyond the legally permissible duration. He claimed that the councilmembers&#8217; terms should have\u200b ended\u200b in 2020, when\u2064 the city transitioned to district\u200c voting, rather\u200d than in 2022 or beyond.<\/p>\n<p>Judge\u200c Schwarm\u2064 agreed with Mr. Schlesinger&#8217;s argument in \u200bhis ruling.\u200b He determined that the councilmembers&#8217; terms were unlawfully extended and ordered the \u2064removal of certain councilors from \u2062office.\u2064 The\u2063 judge also emphasized the importance of adhering \u200dto the prescribed election timeline and \u200ccriticized the city for not\u2062 adequately addressing the\u200c potential legal issues associated with the\u200c transition \u200bprocess.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d legal fees awarded \u2064to Mr. Schlesinger in \u2062these lawsuits pose a significant financial burden\u2062 for the city of Mission Viejo.\u200b The $700,000 potential payment could impact the city&#8217;s budget and potentially require adjustments in \u2062other areas \u2062to accommodate the expense.<\/p>\n<p>As the\u200b legal\u2063 proceedings continue, it \u200bremains uncertain how \u2062much the city will ultimately be required to\u2063 pay.\u200b The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/owner-of-collapsed-iowa-building-that-killed-3-people-files-lawsuit-blaming-engineering-company\/\" title=\"Iowa building owner sues engineering company for collapse deaths.\">city attorney stated<\/a> that the \u2062council will further\u200b evaluate\u2063 the situation and explore potential avenues for\u2064 resolution.<\/p>\n<p>Mission\u200c Viejo&#8217;s experience serves as a cautionary tale for other municipalities considering a\u2063 transition from at-large \u200cto\u200d district voting. It highlights the importance of ensuring that such transitions are conducted properly\u200c and in compliance with applicable\u2062 laws to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-regulators-and-truck-manufacturers-reach-deal-on-emissions-rules\/\" title=\"California regulators and truck manufacturers agree on emissions regulations.\">avoid costly legal challenges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the city\u200b of Mission \u200dViejo must now confront \u2064the \u200dconsequences of its \u200bmishandled transition process. The \u200cpotential $700,000 \u200dlegal fee serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to legal requirements and engaging in thorough\u2063 planning and consideration when\u200b implementing \u200csignificant changes to the electoral system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mission Viejo, CA may shell out $700,000 in legal fees to a resident who sued, claiming councilmembers unlawfully prolonged their terms. Judge Walter Schwarm ruled that the city must pay over $715,000 to Michael Schlesinger. Payment is due this month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":433,"featured_media":2075306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2075305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2075305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2075306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2075305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2075305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2075305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}