Moreno Defamation Case Set for April 8

A court date has been set to consider a defamation of character lawsuit filed by Santa Ana Councilman Ted R. Moreno against a former political opponent.

After the two sides failed to resolve the issue during a mandatory settlement conference, Superior Court Judge Thomas N. Thrasher Sr. on Friday set April 8 as the court date.

The councilman is suing Mike Metzler, president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, for what he alleges were false statements in literature distributed during a 1994 campaign.

While serving on the City Council in 1994, Moreno ran for the state Assembly against Metzler in the Democratic primary. Metzler won the primary but lost the Assembly race to Jim Morrissey (R-Santa Ana).

In his lawsuit, filed in May 1995, Moreno alleges that Metzler and a group called the Orange County Voter Information League published false campaign literature.

The literature alleged that Moreno had spent taxpayer money to buy exercise equipment for his home and that he was under investigation by the Orange County district attorney for bribery and illegal fund-raising, the lawsuit states.

Moreno “suffered loss of his reputation, shame, mortification and hurt feelings,” according to the lawsuit, which seeks $100,000 in damages.

Metzler said of the lawsuit: “It has absolutely no merit. Anybody can file a lawsuit claiming they’ve been harmed, and obviously, you have to defend it.”