Costa Mesa’s $495 an hour lawyers from Jones Day lost in court today in their attempt to get the Costa Mesa Charter Measure on the ballot, despite having blown the mandatory filing deadline.
In the process, Irvine managing partner Richard Grabowski made some stunning claims, including the whopper that Costa Mesa residents John Stephens and Katrina Foley, working pro bono, represented the forces of anti-democracy.
Grabowski also concocted a remarkable theory that the City Clerk somehow was an agent for the City rather than part of the City, and that she had single-handedly stripped the citizens of Costa Mesa of their rights. The Jones Day partner waxed on about the difference between democracies and authoritarian regimes, and that the only difference was that one official did not have the ability to deny the will of the people. The high-priced lawyer further speculated as to what might happen if the City Clerk had malevolently failed to follow the will of the democratically elected City Council’s will. He had absolutely no qualms about throwing Julie Folcik under the bus in his attempts to make some convoluted case of irreparable damage.
The INEFFABLE Grabowski!
Grabowski did everything but call the residents who object to the Charter terrorists.
The firm retained by Costa Mesa continued their contempt for the other attorneys by failing to submit copies of additional filings to opposing counsel. This violation of protocol was so bad that attorney Stephens had time to do a top ten list of reasons why they judge should not accept the filings.
Ultimately, Judge Franz Miller ruled that Katrina Foley was right on point. Mandatory deadlines are mandatory deadlines and there is no discretion on the part of the Registrar or the judge to change the law. Irreparable damage? Nope.
Is it on to another expensive loss in Appellate Court?
Will the Costa Mesa City Council keep the expensive meters ticking even as they claim the City is broke?
When it comes to Costa Mesa, the smart money always bets on stupid, so we expect to see the City piss away more money on corporate lawyers in a futile and unsuccessful appeal.
Update: Right on schedule, Costa Mesa come out of closed session with a 4 to 1 vote to appeal. Once again, City Attorney Tom Duarte and his team of outsourced litigators keep spending tax dollars to support the egos of the Council members.
Correction. We apologize to John Stephens for mis-spelling his name. He’s been the one doing the heavy lifting on the legal work here. An extraordinary Costa Mesa resident, Little League coach, who is taking time away from his own legal practice and family to represent the people of Costa Mesa when their own elected officials have gone bonkers.
Well, there you go. Jones Day tried to get FFFF to issue a retraction and an apology for sharing a story that went out over the TV airwaves!
We had to insert an army boot up their asses but had fun doing it!
For professional relations reasons, I’m not going to comment on Richard Grabowski (other than to say that I’ve always found him to be a smart, creative, nice guy) or the participation of Jones Day, at which I know some nice people. (I also feel constrained to note that Mayor Quimby is not my own pseudonym; I don’t use one here.)
I will say that, at some point, spending more and more City money not actually to give citizens a chance to vote on one of the most important measures in city history, but instead to try to have ensure that that election can be held at the time when everyone knows that fewer citizens will come out to vote than will do so in November is not only unseemly and a waste of public money, but itself becomes part of the “force of anti-democracy.”
At some point, indeed, I would not be surprised if trying to use public money to, in effect, rig a vote — or to “Rig” a vote, in this case — might violate some laws. Is Righeimer planning on using City funds to send out mailers favoring the Charter initiative?
Presumably, I hope to God, not. And yet, by putting this much public money into trying to do effectively the same thing by manipulating the composition of the electorate so that the Charter is more likely to pass.
“Is Righeimer planning on using City funds to send out mailers favoring the Charter initiative?”
I understand he’s already done that. Isn’t that true, gericault, quimby?
Gah!
The mailer arguing AGAINST the charter had to be funded by the only place charter opponents could get ready cash – the OCEA. (Correct me if I have this wrong, Q, Ger.)
“Stupid is as stupid does my momma always said”…..Forrest Gump
City Ridiculously decides to appeal. They will lose. We will lose our taxpayer $$$. When we these self professed businessmen start make good business decisions. $$$ down the drain because there is direct cases on point. It has to be politics and ego driving the decision. It certainly isn’t the legal merits. _ Katrina Foley
Keep racking up those legal bills!!!
Sounds like the city of Costa Mesa took lesson from John Moorlach on how to waste the tax payers on loser Law suits. After all Moorlach lost over 5 millon of taxpayers dollars when he sued Aocds and loste at all the Court levels.
Ah Yes, and Moorlach is one of the pro-charter supporters of the ballot measure and wrote a piece praising the charter that will be in the ballot materials. He also has his eye on a council seat since he is losing his seat on the Board of Supervisors due to term limits. His plan is to get rid of Hatch and promote Francis to CEO.
Grabowski stated, ….”The Costa Mesa City Clerk cannot disenfranchise the ‘majority’ of the citizens of Costa Mesa.” I almost lost it at that point. The majority of Costa Mesans, my A$$!
Then, he lapsed into contradiction: “We can’t have government officials [CM City Clerk] nullifying the election process. [CM city council’s vote to place Charter on June ballot] What the heck is the CM city council doing, if not litigating to nullify the election process, i.e., the County of Orange election/ballot deadlines?
What can the CM city council gain by appealing? The ballots/voter guides/etc., go to print April 1st, as I understand it. That’s three business days from now.
Vern, the flyers that went out against the charter were not funded by OCEA. CM 4 Responsible Govt. handled that themselves. They walked neighborhoods and handed them out. The city did indeed spend taxpayer funds to mail out a nice glossy pro charter mailer. I know, I got one. CM4RG is a grass roots effort of citizens of the city who are tired of this crap. No labor money involved.
What’s the city budget’s line item expenditure category for “spending on advertising material to convince voters to let us pick their pockets”?
Maybe I shouldn’t be so offended by this, but if there is any viable argument based on Righeimer’s prospects of personally profiting from the “Rigcharter” that such activity counts as embezzlement or something other brand of official corruption, then I would like to see him nailed to the wall.
Could the City Council spend public money on printing up and sending out a glossy flyer encouraging citizens to vote for a referendum increasing the compensation of the City Council? Presuming not, where is the line here?
(Don’t worry; he’ll be OK; we already know how much he likes spending money on attorneys.)
I know you are a grass roots group. I thought that when you needed to put out a response to Riggy’s publicly-funded propaganada, you had to get funding from them just for that – since they ALSO oppose the charter. Thanks for the correction.
*Sam Grady: Talk about rumor and innuendo…..Moorlach for CM City Council? Not likely Bucko! Moorlach could do more playing the Power Behind the Throne…..than
ever lowerly himself to serve on the City Council after his 16 years in County Gov.
Make up some new rumors…..like: Righeimeer to run for Governor against Jerry Brown in 2014! That would make just about as much sense…
Believe what you want. We will see who has the correct information.
And this will ALL remain documented here on the OJ, Orange County’s political mosh pit!
I can see how getting onto the CM Council might give an ideologue like the Moorlach a major woody, even if it seems like a step down from Supe. Now he can really get down and get his hands dirty with the demolition of a modern city.
“when their own elected officials have gone BONKERS.”
….lolrz…
speaking of moorlach, is he now going to sue chriss street for the money street squandered. and, if so, is street’s defense going to be that he was once a moorlach protege or that he cannot repay the money since he owes the trucking company something like eight million for that fraud
*Chriss Street…never ceases to amaze. He is one busy camper. Don’t put your charcoal too close to the public barbeque…..or you will soon breathing some pretty strong smoke which Chriss was able to light without asking you anything!
you do mean the toxic fumes eminating from mr street, from defrauding a trust to misappropriating over two million dollars of taxpayer money, this guy is up there with corona in terms of poisoning orange county
*Future Court records will tell the tale of the tape…