3 accused Bell officials want cash-strapped city to pay their legal bills

Three present and former Bell City Council members charged with public corruption are asking a judge to order the city to pay some of their legal bills.

Attorneys for Mayor Oscar Hernandez, Councilwoman Teresa Jacobo and former Councilman George Cole in court filings argue that the city should cover their legal expenses in a suit filed last year by the California attorney general's office.

Jacobo and Cole also want the city to pay their legal bills in a criminal prosecution by the L.A. County district attorney.

The legal papers were filed by lawyers for the trio in response to the attorney general's lawsuit. The current and former council members' lawyers insist that despite claims their clients took large salaries for little or no work, they did nothing legally wrong and are entitled to have Bell cover the costs.

The effort to get the city to foot the bills comes as state auditors have indicated the city's expenses are already outrunning its income, leaving Bell little alternative but to cut services and employees.

In a cross complaint filed last week, Jennifer Derwin, Jacobo's attorney, wrote that her client "is entitled to indemnification because all of the acts alleged in the civil case and criminal case occurred during the discharge of cross complainant’s duties or occurred from cross complainant’s obedience to the direction of the city, which was [her] employer.”

Jacobo became the latest elected official in the city to seek the court's help. Cole’s attorney, Ronald Kaye, in a motion filed late last month seeking relief, noted his client did nothing wrong while on the council.

“At the time of obeying the city of Bell’s directions and carrying out his duties, Mr. Cole did not believe that his actions were unlawful,” Kaye wrote.

Jacobo, 52, Cole, 60, and Hernandez, 63, along with former City Administrator Robert Rizzo, 56, former Assistant City Administrator Angela Spaccia, 52, City Councilman George Mirabal, 60, and former council members Luis Artiga, 49, and Victor Bello, 51, are charged with misappropriating public funds. The council members are accused of earning about $100,000 annually for meetings that did not occur or lasted only a few minutes.

An audit released last week said Bell was on the brink of bankruptcy.

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-- Richard Winton

Comments

[Rocco]

Laughable, at best.

[Brad]

Wow, no shame at all. So what they're saying is that their extremely high salaries weren't enough? They also want their consequences paid for? I'm sure their mothers are all extremely proud of their children.

[Robert NO longer in LA]

Just like with insurance/indemnity policies, the TAXPAYERS have ZERO OBLIGATION to pay for these thieving racketeers!

[Zeolit]

Isn't that Convenient? How about NO! That's the reason for the mess they're in! Let them know that they'll have to wait for their next job - McDonalds has lines for people waiting for jobs.

[Bell Cops Can Start Legal Defense Fund]

Maybe Bell cops can start a legal defense fund with the $2.5 million they collected in towing fees in the last 3 years.

Yes, that's right, $2.5 million in towing fees in a 2 square mile city!

Oh, and Bell cops collected $1 million in 2009, when they allege they were complaining about enforcing Rizzo's policies.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

[Saul]

Wow, it's bad enough we are going to have to pay for their incarceration gzzz....

[Dave]

I've had my laugh for the day!!!!

[DG3]

You've GOT to be kidding!

[Camille]

Wow! Are these people serious?!!!

[VeniceResident]

Public Defender for your common criminals.

[bill]

what the cops were doing in bell is called "tax farming". once the public sector union members have become used to high pay and benefits and job security, it's natural to start thinking of the job as a right, like something the public employee owns, and the citizens are really just income sources. it's the same mindset that the bell leaders had as well, it's how much you can get from the people who actual create wealth, those in the private sector.

i'm surprised police districts don't fight over the right to exact taxes from citizens with towing fees, but i guess that's what jurisdiction means now, it's the right each locality has to exclusively squeeze money from its own citizens and businesses (in the case of bell, they did this with special license fees).

if you actually made public sector pay less (and a lot less, almost punitive) than the private sector, people would just join the public sector out of the idea of "public service".

[Ernie Gordon]

Their incompetence ran Bell out of money, but now they want the broke city to pay for their conduct? Don't be fooled, this is just the criminal defense lawyers looking for a way to get paid.

[rogeroger]

They should get together and collaborate on a book, something like "Raping the System for Dummies" and use the proceeds for their legal fund! Should be plenty left over for the town's coffers.

[Melissa]

Liar's & thieves, who will continue as long as the public lets them.

[L. Spoon]

LOL. This is a joke, right?

[David]

Too bad these three were not Jared Loughner's plans or mind.

[Logic and Reason]

Ha! Funny. You couldn't make-up this stuff.

[kgoddess]

Figures. What else can anyone expect from people like these.

[Ryan240]

The City of Bell needs to file for bankrupcy and so that these crooks won't get any pension!

[outspoken]

NO WAY, these crooks should be in jail for stealing public funds from their city and all their homes should be in foreclosure, and their personal assets sold off to pay back the City of Bell!

[BEACHGIRLSC]

wow, pretty ballsy of them. The sad things is, they might actually prevail. THey may have not done anything "legally" wrong, but what about ethically and morally wrong? I hope the judge can say NO

[Steve]

do you want cheese with that?

[former USC Professor]

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Who do these crooks think they are?

[Indianjoe]

Tell the Bell officials to call Oprah and Octomom... They have $...

[Josh]

Is it April 1st already?