Newport-Mesa superintendent found guilty on 2 of 3 counts [Corrected]

LOS ANGELES — Newport-Mesa Unified Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard was convicted Monday on two of three felony counts of misappropriation of public funds. He was acquitted on a third count.

FOR THE RECORD:
An earlier version incorrectly stated Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard faces up to six years. He faces four years for the first felony and one additional year for every felony after that.

Hubbard, 54, was convicted of awarding a bonus to and increasing the car allowance of a subordinate without school board permission when he served as Beverly Hills schools chief. He was not found guilty of approving a pay raise for another employee without approval, winning an acquittal on the third charge.

Hubbard told the Daily Pilot that he “of course” planned to appeal the verdicts.

“I don’t know how I can be guilty when there are so many checks and balances,” he said.

Newport-Mesa school board President Dave Brooks, who was in the courtroom as the verdicts were read, said the school board would hold an emergency meeting in the next 24 hours to discuss the verdicts.

“I really can’t believe it but they’re the jury,” Brooks said.

Hubbard faces up to five years in prison and the loss of his education credentials.

-- Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams