COUNTYWIDE : Retirement Board to Appeal Court Ruling
The Orange County Retirement Board voted this week to appeal a Superior Court judge’s ruling that struck down an attempt by the panel to reduce the pensions of two former San Juan Capistrano officials who are accused of improperly calculating their retirement benefits.
The case involves James S. Mocalis and E. Phillip Hale, who served as top administrators of both the city of San Juan Capistrano and the Capistrano Valley Water District before retiring in the mid-1980s.
Retirement system officials contend that Mocalis and Hale inflated their salaries with accumulated sick leave and vacation time during their last year of employment, thus substantially increasing their retirement checks.
When the system moved to slash their pension benefits, the officials sued.
In December, a Superior Court judge ruled in Mocalis and Hale’s favor.
Retirement board officials said they will appeal the decision, saying the pension calculations made by Mocalis and Hale did not conform to system policy.
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