SANTA ANA : Acosta Wants City to Pay His Legal Bill
Exonerated of charges that he used improper influence to block the hiring of a city administrator, Councilman John Acosta will ask the city this week to pay his $15,000 legal bill.
The decision on whether to pay the bill will be made by Acosta’s colleagues on the council, City Atty. Edward J. Cooper said Monday.
Acosta was accused of violating the City Charter in January, 1989, when he told City Manager David N. Ream he opposed the hiring of a Laguna Beach administrator as Santa Ana’s new building and safety manager. The job offer to the Laguna Beach administrator was later withdrawn.
A Superior Court judge dismissed the misdemeanor charge filed by the district attorney’s office, and two subsequent attempts to appeal the decision were rebuked.
Acosta’s attorney, Allan H. Stokke, said the city should pay the bill because the allegation stemmed from Acosta’s position as a council member.
The city attorney’s office did not defend Acosta, Stokke added, because “we believed there was a conflict of interest in the city attorney’s office. We believe they took part in referring (the case) over to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.”
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