Legal Defeats Cost City $1.59 Million

Legal defeats have cost the City of Santa Barbara $1.59 million over the past 12 months. This Tuesday, the City Council authorized the payment of $671,000 in attorneys’ fees to settle a longstanding dispute with three homeowners denied the right to rebuild homes after they’d been destroyed by a 2008 wildfire. The homeowners themselves won $125,000 in the case. Likewise, City Hall shelled out $677,000 to attorney Barry Cappello for taking City Hall to court over district elections. In addition, City Hall paid $50,000 to a woman whose arm was broken by Police Officer Aaron Tudor when he sought to arrest her.

Editor’s Note: This story was corrected to say that the woman whose arm was broken received $50,000 from the city, not $125,000. Tony Denunzio settled with the city for $125,000 after being arrested by Officer Tudor.