John
12-20-2006, 09:14 PM
After more than 4 hours of testimony and arguments the Circuit Court
late today ruled entirely in favor of the County Commission majority
who voted earlier this month to pay the legal fees of Planning
Commissioner Todd Baldau. Baldau had been attacked by a group of
developers who had filed an emergency petition to have him removed
from the planning commission. The case was successfully argued for the
citizens of Jefferson County by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brandon
Sims, and for Planning Commissioner Baldau by attorney David Hammer.
The petition was dismissed by a three Judge panel several weeks ago on
procedural grounds and attorney David Hammer had asked that the County
Commission reimburse the cost of Baldau's defense. Commissioners
Corliss, Morgan, and Surkamp voted in favor of the reimbursement and
it was this action which was upheld as entirely legal under state law
by the circuit court today.
A second petition has been filed by developers seeking Baldau's
removal. A check for $3,500 has been sent to attorney David Hammer
on behalf of a group of over thirty concerned citizens to help with
the cost of defending Baldau against this latest attempt to silence
the citizens of Jefferson County.
I hope that there is some way of recovering these expenses directly
from the land speculators and the attorney's that they have hired in
these attempts to intimidate the Planning Commission into accepting
their version of our County's future.
late today ruled entirely in favor of the County Commission majority
who voted earlier this month to pay the legal fees of Planning
Commissioner Todd Baldau. Baldau had been attacked by a group of
developers who had filed an emergency petition to have him removed
from the planning commission. The case was successfully argued for the
citizens of Jefferson County by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brandon
Sims, and for Planning Commissioner Baldau by attorney David Hammer.
The petition was dismissed by a three Judge panel several weeks ago on
procedural grounds and attorney David Hammer had asked that the County
Commission reimburse the cost of Baldau's defense. Commissioners
Corliss, Morgan, and Surkamp voted in favor of the reimbursement and
it was this action which was upheld as entirely legal under state law
by the circuit court today.
A second petition has been filed by developers seeking Baldau's
removal. A check for $3,500 has been sent to attorney David Hammer
on behalf of a group of over thirty concerned citizens to help with
the cost of defending Baldau against this latest attempt to silence
the citizens of Jefferson County.
I hope that there is some way of recovering these expenses directly
from the land speculators and the attorney's that they have hired in
these attempts to intimidate the Planning Commission into accepting
their version of our County's future.