City Settles Lawsuit With 2 Firefighters
Saying they want to avoid further expense to taxpayers, officials Tuesday decided to settle a lawsuit with two firefighters who sued the city and were awarded $700,000 Monday by an Orange County jury.
On Tuesday, the jury was scheduled to review punitive damages for Timothy Murphy and Donald Tully, who alleged that they were induced to leave secure jobs to become assistant chiefs in Westminster, only to be fired when the department was disbanded.
But city officials said they decided early Tuesday morning to negotiate a settlement rather than foot the bill for appeal costs and more attorney fees. Terms of the settlement will be disclosed when the final agreement is approved by the City Council, city spokeswoman Sondra Evans said.
Defendants in the lawsuit were Orange County Supervisor Charles V. Smith, a former Westminster mayor; former city manager Bill Smith; former council member Charmayne S. Bohman; and current Mayor Frank Fry and Councilman Tony Lam.
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