EDITORIAL REASONABLE DOUBT LOCKYER'S MEDDLING IS INAPPROPRIATE IN ENERGY TRIAL.CALIFORNIA Attorney General The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of the government of the state of California in the USA. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (California Constitution, Article V, Section 13. Bill Lockyer's actions regarding an ongoing legal battle involving Sempra Energy Sempra Energy NYSE: SRE is a San Diego, California-based energy services holding company that was founded in 1998. Sempra owns the Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, Sempra Commodities, and Sempra Generation. , which owns Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. , raise serious questions about whether he's looking after the public interest, private interests, or both. Lockyer, of course, claims his intent in meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. with the trial is benign - to help Californians get a better settlement in the antitrust trial stemming from the state's energy crisis. Pay no attention to the fact that his political contributor and ally Tom Girardi, and other lawyers, could reap tens of millions of dollars from the effort - a handsome return on the more than $250,000 Girardi contributed to Lockyer's campaign, not counting several personal gifts that were thrown in. Here's how it all happened: Currently, there's a class-action antitrust trial under way in a San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. Superior Court claiming that executives at Sempra Energy engaged in a ``massive conspiracy'' to manipulate electricity supply in California, prompting the energy crisis of 2000-01. The state of California is not a plaintiff in the trial, but it is trying to get concessions through a parallel mediation case going on, which Girardi is managing. Because of this, a threat by Lockyer to file a lawsuit is inappropriate, and appears to be an attempt to pressure the jury into awarding an even higher settlement. The result of all this would be a windfall windfall An unexpected profit or gain. An investor holding a stock that increases greatly in price because of an unexpected takeover offer receives a windfall. for Girardi and other lawyers who would reap millions in legal fees. And because there appears no other logical reason for a lawsuit, it adds to the appearance that Lockyer's actions are at least worthy of further scrutiny. On its face, this doesn't pass the smell test, particularly the timing, since the trial is well under way and Lockyer has had years to act. At the least, Lockyer appears to be cavalier cavalier (kăv'əlĭr`), in general, an armed horseman. In the English civil war the supporters of Charles I were called Cavaliers in contradistinction to the Roundheads, the followers of Parliament. in his dealings in this matter despite his role as the state's chief law enforcement officer and the public's weariness with politicians doing favors for the people who contribute to their campaigns. What should happen is that outraged lawmakers call for hearings to examine Lockyer's actions. But that's unlikely since so few of them are in any position to question anyone else's ethics. That leaves the matter to the judge in the case, Ronald Prager, to look into the issue to preserve the integrity of this trial. |
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