Seal judge dismissed, hearing postponed

Judge Yuri Hofmann has reportedly been disqualified from hearing O’Sullivan vs. San Diego, the La Jolla Children’s Pool seal lawsuit. A new judge will be assigned to the case by the presiding judge.

A court hearing on harbor seals before Hofmann, which had been scheduled for Oct. 6, has been canceled, according to Cindy Benner, president of La Jolla Friends of the Seals.

Even so, the city council is set to discuss the Children’s Pool/Casa Beach EIR Dredging Project during its meeting that starts Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Bryan Pease, representing the Animal Protection & Rescue League, said it was an action brought by La Jolla attorney Norm Blumenthal of Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik of La Jolla Shores that led to Hofmann’s dismissal from the case.

“What happened here is a new Animal Protection & Rescue League case filed in state court led to a peremptory challenge of the judge (Hofmann),” Pease said.

Calls to the San Diego City Attorney’s office had not been recalled by 2:45 p.m. Monday.

Related posts:

1. Governor signs bill allowing seals to stay at Children’s Pool
2. Judge stays his order to disperse La Jolla’s seals
3. Councilwoman calls for public input on La Jolla seal plan
4. Judge confirms ruling to remove seals from La Jolla Cove
5. Assembly panel OKs bill on La Jolla’s seals

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Posted by on Sep 21, 2009. Filed under Archives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry