Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : MISCELLANY / NEWSMAKERS AND MILESTONES

Sixteen months ago, Yorba Linda Mayor Michael Beverage was arrested and charged with seven counts of molesting his teen-age stepson.

Last week, after a six-day trial, Beverage, 38, walked out of a Fullerton Municipal Court a free man, the only remaining charge dismissed by a judge who ruled that the testimony of the alleged victim and a Brea police officer was insufficient to convict. The other six charges had been dismissed before the trial began.

“I would be lying if I told you that it hasn’t taken a heavy toll on me, both financially and emotionally,” Beverage said. “But if you believe in yourself, you don’t give up.”

“The bottom line is that it was a fabrication, and (the stepson’s) testimony was not believable,” said Jeffrey Friedman, Beverage’s attorney.

The stepson, who is now 18, had made up the molestation incidents because he was angry at his stepfather over disciplinary actions and his refusal to buy him a car, Friedman said.

Beverage, who is in his first term on the City Council, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection. “At this point in my life, I need to redirect my energies and attention to my family, close friends and my small business,” he said. “As time went on, the battle went on, certain things become more significant to me. Holding public office is important, but it doesn’t replace your family and close friends.”