Steel pleads not guilty in criminal case

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- Costa Mesa Councilman Chris Steel for the second time

pleaded not guilty to felony perjury charges Wednesday morning.

Steel said he is determined to fight the Orange County district

attorney’s allegations that he falsified election nomination papers

during the 2000 and 1998 City Council elections.

The councilman said Wednesday that he does not know for sure what

course the criminal trial will take.

“It’s gone so far,” he said outside the courtroom. “Anything can

happen now.”

The district attorney offered Steel a plea bargain in which the

charges would be reduced to misdemeanors on the condition that he resigns

from his council seat. Steel has consistently declined the offer.

Prosecutors allege Steel committed perjury by allowing Costa Mesa

resident Richard Noack to sign nomination papers for his wife during the

2000 election and, in 1998, for allowing himself to sign for Alice

Billioux, a legally blind woman who died last year.

Steel has denied wrongdoing and said he does not intend to give up his

seat.

“I just can’t walk away,” Steel said. “Not now.”

Last month, a Superior Court judge threw out a civil case brought by

Costa Mesa resident Michael Szkaradek that made similar charges.

Steel’s attorney, Ron Cordova, has said he and his client are

encouraged by that verdict.

Judge Ronald Kreber has set a pretrial hearing for Aug. 24. That will

be heard by Judge Carla Singer at Orange County Superior Court in Santa

Ana.

Attorneys for both sides expect jury selection to take place in

September or October. The prosecution has indicated that the trial itself

will last five days. Cordova said he expects the trial to end before

Thanksgiving.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .