Vol. 5, Issue 5, February 4–10, 2010



Proponents of a recall drive against two Capistrano Unified School District trustees on Tuesday restarted the process with fresh petitions to avoid a threatened lawsuit.



Parents for Local Control submitted new “Intent to Recall” notices to the Registrar of Voters and served Trustees Mike Winsten—who represents San Clemente—and Ken Lopez Maddox with the notices by certified mail.



The two men had been served in person at a CUSD board meeting in January, but an attorney representing them fired off a letter alleging errors on the petitions. Recall supporters said they hired an election attorney to guide them and restarted the process.



“This misguided attempted recall as we have barely begun our second year in office is a blatant abuse of our democratic electoral system by enemies of democracy and voters rights,” Winsten said in a prepared statement. “We strongly expect there will be further attempts made by those who feel threatened by the campaign to reform CUSD to interfere again with the will of the pro-education reform voters.”

The Registrar of Voters has confirmed the signatures are those of registered voters and approved the petitions. Recall supporters say they will begin collecting signatures in a couple of weeks, after other legal requirements are met.

Trustees next hold a regular meeting on Feb. 9 at CUSD offices on Valle Road in San Juan Capistrano.



—Jonathan Volzke