Superior Court Judge Franz Miller has lifted the stay on the ACLU lawsuit claiming Anaheim’s at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act and seeking to impose on the city a single-member council district system (that no one outside of a small. vocal faction of political interests has asked for). basically, he is allowing the lawsuit to move forward.
The city had sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, which the judge obviously turned down, and has set a March 17, 2014 trial date for the ACLU’s litigation on behalf of Anaheim City School District Trustee Jose F. Moreno, Latino activist Amin David and another plaintiff.
Keep in mind that under the ordinance adopted by the City Council a few weeks ago to shift to a residency-based districts system of elections, those four residency-based districts must be drawn and approved by March 1.
It’s my understanding (for which I’m seeking further confirmation) that Judge Miller felt it may be premature to continue a stay on the ACLU lawsuit based on the City Council voting to replace the system being litigated by the ACLU with the new, residency-based district system — at least without a full hearing.
Judge Miller did set an October 1 hearing to hear motions to stay the lawsuit or dismiss it.
I wasn’t at today’s hearing and didn’t hear the arguments or the judge’s comments. Obviously, from the perspective of those of us opposing the Left’s attempt to carve up Anaheim, today’s decision was not the preferred outcome. At the same time, neither is it defeat. Contrary to certain Vichy gadfly-types who opposed districts before they supported them but want to run-up the white flag because they are afraid of the possibility of the city writing a check to the ACLU, the better course for the city to fight it out because the city is in the right.
UPDATE: Here are the OC Register (paywall) and Voice of OC articles on today’s ruling.
Calling Cynthia “Vichy?” That makes the rest of us Hitler, and her a French cheese-eating surrender monkey? Any reading of her recent, loquacious posts and comments show plenty more reasons behind her newfound support beside a white flag.
Signed, Goebells.
lo·qua·cious
/lōˈkwāSHəs/
Adjective
Talkative.
Synonyms
talkative – garrulous – voluble – chatty – gabby
Sounds like CW should hook up with The Bloviator.
Yeah! America moves forward.
Or backward
Kris Murray is going to lose this fight and then lose her seat on council.
Thank you for your insight Jason. Perhaps you could share the winning lotto numbers as well.
This is the dumbest issue I have seen the local crazies rally around. What do you think fiefdoms will accomplish? The city does amazing things in the resort area that generate funds to keep taxes down and services up. You think districts will do a better job of providing affordable services and keeping Anaheim at the forefront of international tourism? Come on. Go find another tree to bark up. This is all about a weak law from Sacramento and the local gadflies wanting to look important to their echo chamber friends in the blogosphere by stirring up non-issues.
That about sums it up – well stated!
What I don’t understand is why…WHY, all the media outlet are deferring to Jose Moreno as the great saviour of the Latinos of Anaheim when his own school district VOTES AT LARGE.
Why doesn’t anyone call him out on the hypocrisy of this? It comes down too the fact that this has little or nothing to do with Hispanic Representation and everything to do with a specific kind of representation – i.e., Moreno carving out a District specifically so he can successfully make it onto the Council at the expense of the entire voting public.