‘Hispanic’ Schabarum Seeks Remap Case Role : Politics: Supervisor wants intervenor status in trial on redistricting that threatens his political position. He says Latinos would be hurt by change.

Seeking to bolster his tenuous political position, Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum asked a federal judge Wednesday to protect his interests “as a Hispanic individual” during the upcoming redistricting trial between the county and Latino plaintiffs seeking greater political clout.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Schabarum sought status as an intervenor in the case, in which the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union have charged that the board drew the boundaries of the supervisors’ districts in 1981 in such a way that Latino voting strength was diluted.

In asking for intervenor status, Schabarum was clearly guarding against political assaults from either side--from the plaintiffs as well as from a renewed effort by the Board of Supervisors to settle the case by turning his district into a Latino base. That, theoretically, would lessen Schabarum’s chances for future election.

The Schabarum effort, in effect, seeks to turn the case’s major argument on its head.

Latino plaintiffs have argued that the board diluted Latino representation by spreading it among several districts and thus not giving Latinos a majority in any district.

Schabarum, on the other hand, argued in his complaint that splitting Latino voters into two or more districts would maximize the community’s political influence. Further, Schabarum argued that the solution espoused by the plaintiffs could adversely affect him, described in the court papers as “a Hispanic elected official.” Schabarum’s grandmother was Mexican.

“These four Hispanic (plaintiffs) do not speak for the county’s hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters,” Schabarum’s complaint said. “The court must allow other Hispanic voters the opportunity to help determine their participation in the political process.”

The complaint will be heard by U.S. District Judge David V. Kenyon on Tuesday, the day the trial is to begin. It is not expected to delay the trial.

Schabarum was out of town Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.

The court filing seemed likely to renew a flurry of criticism aimed at Schabarum after he declared recently that running in a Latino district would pose no problem “being a Hispanic such as I am.”

Latino groups, riled by the characterization, criticized the supervisor as unfeeling and said he had not identified with Latino causes during his 17 years on the board.

Schabarum, in making the complaint, asked the court to declare that he had a “protectable interest in any remedy” if the court finds that the board did dilute Latino voting strength.

Earlier this month, the board voted 3 to 2 to redraw district lines so Schabarum’s now conservative district would have a majority of Latino residents. But the effort was dropped after Schabarum raised a firestorm of protest against the swing vote, fellow Republican Supervisor Deane Dana.

“Intervenor is at serious risk of injury because redistricting of the election districts may adversely affect Hispanic influence throughout the county by concentrating the Hispanic community into one supervisorial district,” the filing declared.

On Friday, Schabarum flatly ruled out any pretrial settlement, but left the door open for renewed negotiations after the trial begins Tuesday.