Quotes By Source
Criminal Attorney Fees
Quotes By Source
Christensen agrees with constituents - district should not pay Fleming's criminal attorney fees
Aug 17, 2007 | Permalink
Larry Christensen C
Larry Christensen, The Capistrano Dispatch “I agree with the constituents of CUSD.”

CUSD Trustee Christensen commented after 21 individuals spoke at the August 13, 2007 CUSD board meeting in opposition to Fleming's request for criminal attorney fees (which trustee Marlene Draper brought to motion).
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Christensen explains board's decision not to pay Fleming's defense costs
Aug 15, 2007 | Permalink
Larry Christensen C
Larry Christensen, The Orange County Register "We voted on this before, 7-0, not to support payment. There has been no change since then. I don't see any reason to go back into this again."

Christensen was elected to the CUSD Board of Trustees as one of the ABC Reform candidates in November of 2006.
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President of classified employees union: payment of Fleming's attorney's fees would be unfair
Aug 15, 2007 | Permalink
Ronda Walen, The Orange County Register "You would be allowing Dr. Fleming to maintain his lifestyle … when the rest of us are feeling the pain."

Walen is the president of CUSD's classified employees union, and made this remark while noting that CUSD recently laid off workers.
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Mission Viejo resident: payment of Fleming's legal fees would constitute misplaced priorities
Aug 15, 2007 | Permalink
Kelly Henry, The Orange County Register "When the kids start (school), the teachers ask, 'Can you bring in Kleenex boxes, because we don't get money for that. It'd be ridiculous if we're paying for his legal fees when teachers … are asking for Kleenex boxes."

Henry is a Mission Viejo resident.
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Bryson says denial of Fleming's criminal attorney's fees request is in district's best interest
Aug 14, 2007 | Permalink
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Anna Bryson, The Los Angeles Times "This is the best possible way for the district to go forward."

Bryson was elected to the CUSD Board of Trustees as one of the ABC Reform candidates in November of 2006.
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"It is a misuse of taxpayers' money to defend the indefensible."
Mar 07, 2007 | Permalink
Anna Bryson C
Trustee Anna Bryson, The Orange County Register - After reviewing the alarming revelations contained in Judge Stuart Waldrip's "Independent" Investigator's Report, reform trustee Bryson made this comment in support of a resolution to stop further funding of former Superintendent James Fleming's criminal defense attorney's fees. Trustees Benecke, Draper, Darnold and Stiff reversed their earlier decision and joined Bryson and the other reform trustees, Ellen Addonizio and Larry Christensen, in cutting off further taxpayer funding of Fleming's criminal defense attorney's fees.
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Even after alarming evidence of Fleming's wrongdoings, Benecke would use tax dollars to pay his criminal attorney's fees
Mar 07, 2007 | Permalink
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Trustee Sheila Benecke, The Orange County Register "Should activities resume, he'd have every right to seek reinstatement of district-paid legal counsel." Trustee Benecke and other Fleming trustees said a defense lawyer is no longer necessary because the grand jury investigation seems to have quieted down. However, they also said they would support providing a defense lawyer for Fleming's if investigation activities resume. Benecke and her colleagues previously said that Fleming's criminal defense attorney's fees would be paid until there was evidence of Fleming's wrongdoing. Now that the Waldrip report has provided alarming evidence of such wrongdoing, Benecke and her colleagues have decided ignore the report. This decision is just a flawed as their decision to pay Fleming's criminal defense fees last summer, when they ignored legal criteria and improperly authorized payment.
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District has spent $5,000 on Fleming's defense, but now there's evidence of Fleming's wrondoings
Mar 05, 2007 | Permalink
Sam Miller, The Orange County Register “The district has spent about $5,000 on Fleming's defense. Since the initial decision, three new trustees – who ran on a reform platform – were elected, and a district-commissioned investigation found evidence of "imprudent" actions taken by Fleming.” Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for the Orange County Register.
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Trustees hire criminal defense lawyers for Fleming and themselves
Feb 23, 2007 | Permalink
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Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch “Trustees in September unanimously agreed to pay $400 an hour for the law firm of Ronald G. Bower and Associates to represent Fleming, while they hired defense attorney Paul Meyer at $395 to represent other district employees.”

Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
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Trustees agreed to pay Fleming's attorney if no evidence of wrongdoing
Feb 23, 2007 | Permalink
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Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch “... when trustees agreed to Fleming’s request to pay his attorney, they said they would do so as long as there was no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.”

Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
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Parents tell Trustees about Fleming misconduct identified by Waldrip
Feb 23, 2007 | Permalink
Jonathan Volzke_2
Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch "Parents this month told trustees their independent report found Fleming acted inappropriately more than once – including sending district officials to the Registrar of Voters to gather the names of parents who circulated recall petitions against trustees. District employees then used school records to match the names of the political activists to information about their children.”

Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
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Trustees agreed to pay Fleming's attorney fees as long as no evidence of wrongdoing
Feb 13, 2007 | Permalink
Jonathan Volzke_2
Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch “The district is under investigation by the Orange County Grand Jury for a litany of alleged acts of wrongdoing, and trustees agreed to pay Fleming's attorney, as long as there was no evidence he acted inappropriately.”

Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
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Independent investigator found evidence of Fleming's wrongdoing
Feb 13, 2007 | Permalink
Jonathan Volzke_2
Jonathan Volzke, The Capistrano Dispatch “The independent investigation commissioned by the district found Fleming sent district employees to the Registrar of Voters office to review recall petitions -- that alone is illegal -- and then coupled the names of political activists with district information about their children. Parents told the board on Tuesday that should be enough to cut off Fleming's attorney payments.”

Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
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Taxpayers should not pay Draper's criminal defense lawyer fees
Jan 02, 2007 | Permalink
Gary Thompson_2
Gary Thompson, Trabuco Canyon News “The CUSD Trustees should not ask the taxpayers to spend one penny on a criminal lawyer to defend Trustee Draper. If she broke the law, she should be held accountable and should pay for her own criminal defense – just like anybody else.” Thompson is Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Rancho Santa Margarita.
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Criminal defense lawyers for Fleming and trustees will be paid from general fund
Jan 02, 2007 | Permalink
Mike Winsten, Trabuco Canyon News “The Trustees unanimously approved the engagement of a $400/hour criminal defense attorney to represent former Superintendent James Fleming and a $395/hour criminal defense attorney to represent themselves in connection with the on-going criminal investigation. These costs will come directly out of the district’s General Fund.”
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