Information regarding the Colonies litigation is trickling out and what is being said is not surprising at all.
While state and county prosecutors work to obtain access to privileged legal discussions and materials in an effort to prove their corruption case, InlandPolitics has developed a few fragments of what is being described as a tense litigation process.
While the revelations covered in this story have been briefly touched on over the past several months, a little more clarity is appearing.
Sources tell the blog that at least two San Bernardino County Supervisors had become suspect of their legal counsel as the second trial was proceeding.
It is reported that while the second trial was occurring before Superior Court Judge Christopher Warner, that county lawyers were assuring the Board of Supervisors that the county was winning in the courtroom.
Yes, winning!
Not so Fast.
An observer of the trial proceedings contacted then Chairman Bill Postmus who told him the county was in fact getting slaughtered in court. Postmus was told Warner was hammering the county during the proceedings and the witnesses for the county were’nt believable. Postmus was told that Colonies attorney Heidi Timken was destroying county witnesses on the stand.
Postmus requested then Vice-Chairman Paul Biane accompany him to the courtroom to witness the trial for themselves. After watching what was unfolding in court, both men are described as being shocked. Reportedly, both Postmus and Biane formed the opinion the county was in trouble.
They were right.
The county lost the second trial and Warner urged both sides to reach a settlement before his intended statement of decision was entered as final.
The above-mentioned chain of events led to a proposal by Postmus and Biane to their outside law firm.
The proposal was, if the county appeals the Warner ruling, will you put your legal fees charged to the county for the “appeal only” at risk? In other words, if the county prevails on appeal like the law firm was assuring, the firm would keep their fees. However, should the county lose on appeal, the law firm would forfeit all fees paid to research, file and argue the appeal.
The law firms reply was “no”.
With approximately nine attorneys assigned to the Colonies litigation, the outside law firm representing the county was billing at a rate in the thousands of dollars per hour during trial. Total legal costs on the case for the county alone were between five and ten million dollars.
Who wouldn’t be suspect.
Some of the county supervisors knew the proposed settlement amounts were escalating everytime the county lost in court, and so were the legal fees.
What days did Postmus and Biane attend the trial ?
Well who in the public forum needs evidence to believe some of our beloved lawyers working for whoever around here would not put their law firm and line their own pockets first from someone else’s misery?
THE line for the sheep to flock starts right here._________________
HAVE any of you been reading some of the comments about attorneys in general around here?
A THOUSAND buck’s an hour to dick around and give bogus information to your client, the client goes and sees for themselves, and decides your not worth a grand an hour?
Seems very reasonable to me. LET your eyes be the judge when it come to simple lip service versus clear facts your taking care of business.
Remember all lawyers are awesome around here, they have a BAR card that says so. Just the Mafia wearing a nice suit with a title.
Don’t forget the lawyers that the county hired to white wash the Ramos sex scandal. Now they are refusing to give up their interviews. What happened to just airing out the facts? Let the people read the interviews and see if they think that they “clear” him. You would think the papers and all of thier talk of sunshine would be demanding that they be released. Not, I guess, if it is about “their” candidate.
As long as Stringer the Incompetent is allowed to collect her overpaid salary and obscene benefits then the County and the taxpayers lose. She is beyond loathsome and despicable. Ovitt and Kirk : thanks jerks!
What is the treatment for SB County scandal
fatigue?
I have heard that the county is suing their own attorneys, is that correct. I have been involved in many lawsuits, as is any business in California. I have never had a law firm recommend settling a lawsuit when they were being paid by the hour. Law firms that bill millions to a customer that is paying in cash don’t ever want to get off the gravy train.
Let’s see Fed-up you say you witnessed the hug, embrace between the judge and one of the Colonies partners but you don’t recall Biane and Postmus coming to Warner’s court room. You seem to not recall somethings and make up others, shame on you and your tainted memory. Of course those that really know the facts know you don’t care about them and are just looking for attention, why don’t you go and do another interview with the sentinel they seem to like printing your falsehoods.
Is this in response to the FPPC claim filed against you and a couple of other self-proclaimed VIP’s? What makes you think that the public should have to fork out $15M when you are as much a part of the problem as anyone! Uffer, U are the ultimate punk…we the people should be able to recover all that you were paid while you mishandled the County business for all those years. That wouldn’t come close to $15M though, so you must really have some filthy dirt on the good olde boyz club.
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