Judge OKs Registrar Offer to Settle Poll Guard Suit

A federal judge Wednesday approved County Registrar of Voters Donald Tanney’s offer to settle a lawsuit by Latino voters who contend they were intimidated at polling places by uniformed guards hired by the Orange County Republican Party last year.

U.S. District Judge J. Spencer Letts signed an order formally accepting Tanney’s proposed settlement, which had been submitted to the court Nov. 2.

Under terms of the settlement, Tanney will pay $20,000 to the six plaintiffs and take steps to ensure voters are not harassed and that poll workers are more sensitive to ethnic and racial issues. Tanney admitted no wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement.

The Orange County Republican Party, Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), his campaign and several individuals connected to the campaign still remain as defendants in the federal civil-rights lawsuit. They face trial Jan. 16.

On Monday, Letts dismissed the Republican State Central Committee from the lawsuit, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to show the organization had anything to do with the posting of the guards. The company that employed the security guards settled its part of the lawsuit in July.

The six Latino voters who filed the suit contend that Pringle and GOP officials placed 20 guards at predominantly Latino voting places in Santa Ana on Nov. 7, 1988, to scare away voters. The guards carried signs in English and Spanish warning that it was illegal for non-citizens to vote.

Pringle narrowly defeated Democrat Christian F. (Rick) Thierbach for the 72nd Assembly District seat, representing much of central Orange County.

The resulting controversy sparked state legislation forbidding armed or uniformed guards at polling places.

County Republican officials have contended the guards were brought in because of a rumor that the Democrats might bring in illegal voters to bolster Thierbach’s position. The guards were there only to observe any illegal behavior and to report it, Republicans have said.