HOLLISTER
More than a four years after Monterey County attorney Mike Pekin’s legal battle against the San Benito County Board of Supervisors and former Supervisor Richard Scagliotti began, the case is headed to trial.
The sides’ attorneys – Pekin representing his son Patrick and San Jose-based Michael Serverian representing Scagliotti and the county – and Judge Alan Hedegard agreed Monday to start the trial on March 3.
The controversial case involves a long list of suits and countersuits, but began with accusations of corruption brought against Scagliotti in 2003 by Mike Pekin and the anonymous group Los Valientes. They alleged that the longtime supervisor abused his position to benefit his business interests as a developer.
“This stuff was supposed to be over before World War II,” Mike Pekin said.
Serverian has said he can’t comment on the case.
In 2006, the California Fair Political Practices Commission cleared Scagliotti of wrongdoing for his failure to include the Churchill Nut Plant, which he bought and sold during his tenure on the board, on his annual statements of economic interest. Scagliotti has called the decision “one more thing that proves I didn’t do anything wrong,” but Pekin said the FPPC’s ruling won’t affect his suit.
That suit stalled in December 2004, after then-District Attorney John Sarsfield filed his own suit against Pekin and Los Valientes alleging civil rights violations and unfair business practices. Earlier this year, the California Attorney General’s Office dismissed Sarsfield’s suit, allowing Pekin to resume his case against Scagliotti.
Hedegard has yet to rule on the county’s efforts to force Pekin to reveal the identities of Los Valientes.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho said he’s glad the matter is finally going to trial because it means the case could be resolved soon.
“All of this has been going on way too long at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer,” Botelho said. “The best thing that could happen is for the entire county to move on.”
