Hollister
– The California Attorney General’s office dismissed its civil
rights lawsuit against the anonymous group Los Valientes during a
closed-door settlement conference Thursday morning, bringing an end
to one of the county’s most costly and controversial legal
battles.
Hollister – The California Attorney General’s office dismissed its civil rights lawsuit against the anonymous group Los Valientes during a closed-door settlement conference Thursday morning, bringing an end to one of the county’s most costly and controversial legal battles.
“After a complete independent review, we felt this was the most appropriate course of action,” Attorney General Spokesperson Robin Deller said. Deller said should could not elaborate on why the decision was appropriate.
The lawsuit, originally brought by former District Attorney John Sarsfield in 2004, accused the anonymous group and its attorney Mike Pekin of civil rights violations. The suit alleged Los Valientes had violated the civil rights of eight political leaders and local business owners through extortion and by filing false lawsuits.
After Sarsfield was removed from the case in 2006, prosecution of the suit was shifted to the Attorney General’s Office and Deputy Attorney General Joyce Blair. During a conference with San Benito County Superior Court Judge Thomas Breen, District Attorney Candice Hooper and two of Pekin’s assistants, Blair dismissed the case.
“The Attorney General’s Office evaluated the case and thought it should be dismissed,” Hooper said Thursday. “I agreed and now it’s resolved.”
Sarsfield, who spent two years trying to unmask Los Valientes and bring them to justice, said he felt let down by the Attorney General’s decision to dismiss the case.
“It’s disappointing that they made this decision before talking with the victims in this case,” he said. “Now there is no one to stand up to Pekin.”
But Sarsfield doesn’t think the money he spent prosecuting the case was wasted.
“The money we spent accomplished something,” he said. “Los Valientes has stopped filing anonymous lawsuits.”
The case had cost the county more than $180,000 in outside legal fees and countless hours of staff time before it was transferred to the Attorney General. All told, some county officials have estimated it cost San Benito more than $1 million in staff time. County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, who has repeatedly denied accusations that he was involved in the anonymous group, said he was glad the lawsuit was finally over.
“It was a huge cost in terms of time and resources. And for what?” De La Cruz said. “The dismissal is a clear indication that taxpayer money was wasted on this case.”
The battle began in 2003 when Pekin, a Salinas attorney backed by an anonymous group later dubbed “Los Valientes” or “the brave ones,” brought suit against then-Supervisor Richard Scagliotti and the county alleging corruption. A year later, Sarsfield filed the civil suit against Los Valientes, believing that the group was attempting to ruin the reputation of local political leaders by filing lawsuits they knew to be false. The two lawsuits have spawned dozens of allegations that have never been proven in court, but their repercussions have been felt throughout the county.
Pekin said the dismissal is proof that Los Valientes never did anything wrong.
“We knew all along that we did nothing wrong. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on this witch hunt that was all about beating up citizens for questioning the government,” he said. “The personal costs of this lawsuit are enormous. The county and Sarsfield have hurt us as bad as they could, but now we are more determined than ever.”
Pekin plans to resume his lawsuit against Scagliotti and the county, which had stalled when Sarsfield filed suit against Los Valientes. He also plans to go after the county for legal fees associated with his defense in the civil rights case. He said he hopes to recover somewhere in the ballpark of $250,000 in legal defense costs from the county.
For many, the dismissal of the case signals the end of a dark chapter in San Benito County’s history.
“This is good news for everyone in the county,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said. “We need to get past these personal vendettas and battles and start working together again.”
Alleged victims of Los Valientes, including Supervisor Pat Loe, former newspaper publisher Tracie Cone and Scagliotti could not be reached for comment before press time on Thursday.
Brett Rowland is the city editor of the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 332 or br******@fr***********.com. Free Lance staff writer Anthony Ha contributed to this report.
