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 .
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