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The City of San Diego is still embroiled in the legal fight surrounding the estimated $2 billion hit it took during the 2002 pension debacle when pension board officials voted to increase benefits while decreasing payments.
The City of San Diego is still paying for that 2002 pension fiasco, in more ways than one. It now finds itself trying to get out of paying $5,419,516.53 million to the six pension officials that were accused of criminal conflict of interest.
Late last year, the City of San Diego filed an appeal to overturn a judge's decision this past October to award Cathy Lexin, Ronald Saathoff, John Torres, Mary Vattimo, Terri Webster, and Sharon Wilkinson a total of $9,878,486.53 in damages.
In April of 2010 five of the six former pension officials were cleared of any wrongdoing by the California Supreme Court.
Seven months later the accused flipped the script, suing the City of San Diego in January 2012.
In October Superior Court Judge William Dato ruled in favor of the six plaintiffs.
This from San Diego Superior Court's case record:
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Wilkinson, Sharon K and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 495441.91, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 495441.91.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Webster, Terri A and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 1060297.51, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 1060297.51.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Vattimo, Mary and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 945696.44, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 945696.44.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Torres, John A and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 434621.86, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 434621.86.
Judgment was entered as follows: Judgment entered for Saathoff, Ronald L and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 774837.12, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 774837.12.
Judgment was entered as follows: Judgment entered for Lexin, Cathy and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 1708621.69, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 1708621.69.
The City filed an appeal two weeks after the judge's decision.
On Friday, March 1, a lawyer from the City Attorney's Office will appear in court to try and get out of paying the legal fees for the six former pension officials.
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story placed the judgement at approximately $10 million. That figure was wrong. The actual judgment was $5.4 million. I apologize for the error.
The City of San Diego is still embroiled in the legal fight surrounding the estimated $2 billion hit it took during the 2002 pension debacle when pension board officials voted to increase benefits while decreasing payments.
The City of San Diego is still paying for that 2002 pension fiasco, in more ways than one. It now finds itself trying to get out of paying $5,419,516.53 million to the six pension officials that were accused of criminal conflict of interest.
Late last year, the City of San Diego filed an appeal to overturn a judge's decision this past October to award Cathy Lexin, Ronald Saathoff, John Torres, Mary Vattimo, Terri Webster, and Sharon Wilkinson a total of $9,878,486.53 in damages.
In April of 2010 five of the six former pension officials were cleared of any wrongdoing by the California Supreme Court.
Seven months later the accused flipped the script, suing the City of San Diego in January 2012.
In October Superior Court Judge William Dato ruled in favor of the six plaintiffs.
This from San Diego Superior Court's case record:
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Wilkinson, Sharon K and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 495441.91, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 495441.91.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Webster, Terri A and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 1060297.51, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 1060297.51.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Vattimo, Mary and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 945696.44, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 945696.44.
Additional Judgment was entered: Judgment for Torres, John A and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 434621.86, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 434621.86.
Judgment was entered as follows: Judgment entered for Saathoff, Ronald L and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 774837.12, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 774837.12.
Judgment was entered as follows: Judgment entered for Lexin, Cathy and against THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO for $ 1708621.69, punitive damages: $ 0.00, attorney fees: $ 0.00, interest: $ 0.00, prejudgment costs: $ 0.00, other costs: $ 0.00, amount payable to court: $ .00, for a grand total of $ 1708621.69.
The City filed an appeal two weeks after the judge's decision.
On Friday, March 1, a lawyer from the City Attorney's Office will appear in court to try and get out of paying the legal fees for the six former pension officials.
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story placed the judgement at approximately $10 million. That figure was wrong. The actual judgment was $5.4 million. I apologize for the error.