Judge Moves up Hearing of Lawsuit Over Mission Viejo Councilors’ Terms

The new name for the Orange County Superior Court's West Justice Center is revealed in a livestreamed ceremony in Westminster, Calif., on Nov. 6, 2020. Screenshot via Superior Court of California County of Orange

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.—All five Mission Viejo city councilors may appear on the election ballot this November, after a judge recently decided to hear a lawsuit challenging their terms next week instead of in August.

While three councilors—Ed Sachs, Greg Raths, and Mayor Wendy Bucknam—were already up for re-election in November, a Mission Viejo resident Michael Schlesinger sued the city, arguing that councilors Trish Kelley and Brian Goodell should also appear on the ballot.