COUNTY OF ORANGE LEGAL BILLS NOW TOTAL OVER $1.7 MILLION FOR UNSUCCESSFUL COUNTY LAWSUIT
California Desk
April 23, 2009
SANTA ANA – The County of Orange´s legal bills for County Supervisor John Moorlach´s failing legal effort to significantly cut deputy sheriff pensions in Orange County have exceeded the $1.7 million mark, county records show. The County´s lawsuit was recently tossed out of court before even going to trial.
Kirkland & Ellis, the fourth outside law firm hired by the County to assist their 2 ˝ year effort to declare Deputy Sheriff 3% at 50 pension benefits in Orange County unconstitutional, rang up $383,000 in legal bills during January and February of this year, bringing the County´s total legal costs through February 28 to $1,727,320.57.
"I feel bad for the county taxpayers," said Wayne Quint, President of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs. "Three highly paid law firms hired by the county to give them expert outside legal advice, all told the County Board of Supervisors that they had no chance whatsoever to win litigation on this subject. At the insistence of Supervisor John Moorlach and his Chief of Staff Mario Mainero, the board ignored their paid legal advice and proceeded forward anyway with a frivolous lawsuit. Now, over $1.7 million later, the court quickly throws their case out -- before it even makes it to trial."
"All this at time when County Supervisors are publicly saying the county is broke and they have to layoff probation officers and other county employees," continued Quint.
"At some point, common sense must kick in and prevail. To quote County Supervisor John Moorlach -- who has been driving this effort to try to get the courts to ignore the U.S. Constitution in order to break a formal contract and make new law -- in a speech he made in 2000 to the Orange County Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, ´County agencies should become more accountable to taxpayers for the lawsuits they file. …every time you hire an attorney, the only person who wins is the attorney.´"