Candidate for County Clerk to Be Shifted to a New Job

Superior Court judges Friday ordered the reassignment of a courtroom clerk “because of the appearance of impropriety” in his campaign to unseat his boss, County Clerk Gary Granville, in the June 3 election.

The seeming impropriety involved Deputy Clerk Marshall Norris’ successful solicitation of an endorsement by California Angels owner Gene Autry and a courthouse photo session with Autry. The Angels are suing the City of Anaheim in the courtroom where Norris works. Autry has testified as a witness in the case.

Meanwhile, Deputy Dist. Atty. Maury Evans said Friday that his office will investigate Norris’ alleged use of his courtroom phone and a phone used by a supervising clerk for campaign purposes. Norris printed the county phone numbers on campaign literature. However, he has denied receiving campaign-related calls on them.

‘Appearance of Impropriety’

Costa Mesa lawyer Greg Sanders said Friday that he had formally sought the district attorney’s investigation because “if there was one thing drummed into me in law school, it was that officers of the court--and that’s what Norris is--must avoid even the appearance of impropriety. What he has done here certainly gives the appearance, even if he has done nothing illegal.”

Sanders, a member of the law firm that holds the county’s Washington lobbying contract, recently was the emcee at a fund-raiser for Granville. Also, Sanders once worked as a top aide to Supervisor Ralph Clark. Granville was Clark’s press secretary until last January.

Sanders said his feelings about Norris’ activities would be the same even if he was not connected with Granville.

Meanwhile, Norris repeated earlier denials of any wrongdoing.

“I still say that I’ve done nothing wrong or anything to be ashamed of,” Norris said.

Use of county property for personal purposes violates county ordinances. But County Counsel Adrian Kuyper has said determining whether a violation exists involves a “matter of degree.” He has declined to specifically comment on Norris’ actions.

Friday’s court order, signed by Presiding Judge Everett W. Dickey on behalf of the court’s five-member executive committee, directs Granville to “immediately remove Deputy County Clerk Marshall F. Norris from courtroom duties and other duties which would bring him into direct contact with members of the public in the County Courthouse.”

‘Morally Obligated’

Asked what he would do if Granville assigns him to a menial task, Norris said:

“That doesn’t bother me. . . . I’ll do it. And I’ll do it well.”

Granville said he would carry out the judges’ order but had not yet decided where to put Norris.

“I feel morally obligated to honor the court order,” Granville said.

Norris said he had asked for a leave of absence but withdrew it Friday in favor of a new request to be transferred to another courtroom.

Courtroom posts are the most lucrative positions a deputy county clerk can hold unless they serve directly under Granville in a management role.

Courtroom clerks process documents and exhibits and swear in jurors.

Other deputy clerks stand at the public counter in the County Clerk’s office or process filings at rows of desks behind the counter.