News
Government
Feb. 15, 2002
Ex-Mayor of Compton Likely Will Appeal Ousting
LOS ANGELES - Lawyers for former Compton Mayor Eric Perrodin will ask an appeals court to reverse a decision made by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge that ousted Perrodin and named Omar Bradley the new mayor of the city, according to Perrodin's trial attorney.
Bruce Gridley of Burke, Williams & Sorensen said Thursday that he expects Perrodin's appellate lawyer, Fred Woocher of Strumwasser & Woocher, to file a writ of supersedeas within a few days. Such a writ would ask the court to, in an expedited fashion, agree to reverse or, at least, stay the decision of Judge Judith Chirlin, Gridley said.
Woocher could not be reached for comment.
Although Bradley was sworn in as mayor on Monday, if the appellate court stays Chirlin's decision, Perrodin may be able to take office again, Gridley said.
"[A stay] would mean that the prior order of the court would not be in effect," he said.
After nearly three months of trial, Chirlin ruled last Friday that an error in the ordering of names on the ballot combined with the casting of illegal votes in the June 5 Compton mayoral election were sufficient grounds to overturn its results.
In making her decision, Chirlin relied heavily on the testimony of an Ohio State University political science professor who is an expert in the "primacy effect," the theory that people choose things that are first in a list.
The professor, Jon Krosnick, found that Perrodin likely benefited by at least 306 votes from being first on the ballot. Chirlin found the city clerk erred in listing Perrodin first on the ballot and that, if Bradley had held the top position, he would have won the election.
Bradley's attorney, Bradley W. Hertz, said Thursday that the appeal was not unexpected and that he and his client "welcome the challenge."
"Fred Woocher and I have been on opposite sides in a number of cases, I think always with mutual respect for each other's work," Hertz said. "I relish the opportunity to defend Judge Chirlin's ruling."
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Erin Carroll
Daily Journal Staff Writer
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