In the news

Paul Clinton

Hardly a week goes by these days when James Gray’s name doesn’t appear

in newsprint.

Gray, an Orange County Superior Court judge, has found himself at the

center of the raging debate over how the county should use the closed El

Toro Marine Corps Air Station after issuing a blistering ruling.

In a July 31 ruling, Gray, who has lived in Newport Beach for almost a

year, dressed down Orange County airport planners before invalidating the

names on a South County petition to install a central park at the closed

base.

Calling the airport debate “the most fractionated issues in my time in

Orange County,” the veteran judge criticized county leaders for failing

to weigh the benefits and limitations of an airport “openly and

honestly.”

Gray then voided the signatures collected by Communities for Safe and

Healthy Communities. If the ruling is upheld on appeal, the South County

group could lose more than 140,000 names and the chance to submit its

initiative for a countywide vote in March.

South County leaders have vowed to overturn Gray’s ruling, which will

be heard in the state’s San Diego appellate court.

“The judge erred in applying the law,” anti-airport activist Leonard

Kranser said. “We’re confident it will be overturned.”

Last week, in a story in the Los Angeles Times, Gray revealed that he

had been working to convince a longtime friend wanted for a 1997 murder

to surrender to the police.

The man, Hugh “Randy” McDonald, disappeared four years ago, leaving

behind his law practice, family and Corona del Mar home.

McDonald was wanted in connection with the murder of Janie Pang, the

wife of a businessman who had hired the attorney’s firm. He was arrested

earlier this month after allegedly staging his own suicide at the Golden

Gate Bridge.

McDonald was hiding out in Reseda under a phony name, while still

collecting Social Security checks, officials say.

“He is a very good friend,” Gray said. “All of these allegations are

absolutely bizarre.”

On Monday, Gray was in the spotlight again, as the Catholic church’s

Orange Diocese announced a $5.2-million payout to the alleged victim of

sexual abuse by a well-known priest. Gray approved the settlement.

Gray’s no stranger to such controversy. He first caught the public eye

in 1992 when he staged a press conference to announce he supported the

decriminalization of heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs.

Since then, the former federal prosecutor has waged his own campaign

against the “war on drugs.”

In a recently published book titled “Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and

What We Can Do About It,” Gray lays out his case for government

regulation of the substances.

“The drugs are dangerous, but the drug money is really aggravating the

problem,” Gray said. “The drugs are so dangerous that they need to be

brought under control.”

Hoping to ride his message to higher office, Gray ran for a seat in

Congress in 1998. At the time, the Republican Gray took on Rep. Bob

Dornan, but finished third in the primary. Dornan went on to lose to

now-Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez.

Gray also campaigned vigorously in support of Proposition 36, the

successful statewide ballot measure that would funnel drug offenders to a

treatment program rather than local jails.

And adding to the El Toro controversy, early on in his political bid,

Gray met with Newport Beach activist Dave Ellis, who now is the spokesman

for the Airport Working Group. Gray said he was searching for a campaign

consultant.

However, no money was ever exchanged between the two.

“I don’t know him,” Ellis said. “And I bet he barely remembers me.”

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .

REFER

This week, El Toro supporters argued in favor of Judge James Gray’s

ruling invalidating an anti-airport initiative drive. See Page 3