Baglin seeks public support

Barbara Diamond

Councilman Wayne Baglin asked on Tuesday for public support in his

time of trial.

Baglin, charged with six counts of felony conflict of interest, is

scheduled to stand trial on June 30.

“I am encouraging as many [people] as possible to attend,” Baglin

announced at the televised City Council meeting. “I think it will be

about one week of trial.

“There are 62 seats in the courtroom,” he said. “I would love to

see them full.”

Baglin pleaded not guilty on Dec. 6 of violating state government

code 1090 that prohibits elected officials or members of their

families from financially benefiting from contracts with the agency

the official represents.

The councilman, a real estate broker, accepted a $36,000

commission from the sale to the city of two lots on Third Street he

brokered for clients while sitting on the council. The clients paid

the commission. The city was not a party to the commission agreement.

Baglin never tried to hide his representation. He abstained from

votes taken on acquisition. Voting would have been a violation of the

Political Reform Act, a separate action.

Voting on the purchase would have been reviewed by the Fair

Political Practices Commission, as was the case several years ago

with then-Councilwoman Lida Lenney. Lenney’ s late husband, George

Lenney, owned stock in Waste Management, which she claimed she didn’t

know about, at the time she voted for a new city contract with the

trash hauler. She was fined by the commission.

Baglin was indicted Oct. 31 by the grand jury after a closed

hearing a day earlier, at which Baglin’s clients, Dorothy and Edgar

Hatfield; City Council members Cheryl Kinsman, Steven Dicterow and

Paul Freeman; City Manager Ken Frank; and investigator Timothy Craig

testified. Baglin was mayor at the time.

If Baglin is found guilty of violating the state government code,

he could be fined $1,000 or jailed and possibly barred for life from

holding political office in California.

“This is important to me,” Baglin said Tuesday. “I heard a

district attorney tell a reporter that [conviction] could mean seven

years for me.”

He said before his arraignment that he would welcome a trial as a

means to vindicate himself. His attorney said the charges were

politically motivated.

“I am talking to friends, family and supporters and asking them to

attend,” Baglin said. “I want them there for support.”

Even critics will be welcome, he said.

“Quite honestly, I do not think newspapers have done an adequate

job of providing the facts to the public,” Baglin said Wednesday.

He declined further comment.