April 19, 2018 -- Legal costs are rising, although it is not clear how much the City of Santa Monica has spent on the Voting Rights lawsuit filed by local Latino activists that is entering its second year.
Santa Monica officials say they have not tallied the specific cost of fighting the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) lawsuit filed in April 2016 by activists in the Pico Neighborhood, Santa Monica's poorest and most racially diverse area ("Santa Monica Facing Lawsuit Over At-Large Council Elections," April 13, 2016).
In 2017, total fees to the outside firm handling the suit -- Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher -- were nearly $5 million, although the price tag included other legal matters, said Finance Director Gigi Decavalles-Hughes.
Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/April-2018/04_18_2018_City_of_Santa_Monica_Enters_Second_Year_of_Fight_Against_Voting_Rights_Lawsuit.html
