Longtime Orange City Judge Jerry Pennington and city prosecutor Cimron Campbell will continue in their jobs without having to reapply.
The Orange City Council Tuesday voted not to seek proposals from other lawyers to fill the positions. However, District 4 Councilor Annette Pernell was not happy.
Her voice was loud as she argued with City Attorney Jack Smith concerning information about how the city judge and prosecutor are appointed. Later in the meeting she apologized for the way she spoke.
For the past two years, she has wanted to get more lawyers to apply for the positions.
On Tuesday, Smith said the two-year contract the city signed last month with Pennington, Campbell, and alternate judge George Barron, was for pay. They have the positions until the city council decides to get new people. He compared their contracts to that of a city manager.
“There’s no terms,” he said.
Pernell said young lawyers want to become a state district judge and being a municipal judge is a start for them to learn. She said they have no chance if the position is always held by the same people.
Pennington has been city judge for more than 20 years. Smith said Pennington serving as judge “has never been an issue. Never.”
Pernell then replied in a voice that could be heard without a microphone: “It’s never going to be an issue if you don’t know about it, but if you know about it, you should give us all the information up front
“I’m fine with it. If you want to keep them there, then keep them there. But what I’m not fine with is not being given all the information that is needed up front so we can make an informed decision. That’s the decision we have to make and if we decide that we don’t want to change things because we have all the information then nothing is going to be changed. But you cannot withhold information because we didn’t ask for it, we didn’t get it.
“And a two-year contract is just that, a two-year contract. Now if you want to say that contract is null and void and it doesn’t matter, then it doesn’t matter. Keep them there until the cows come home. But give me the information I asked for whether you think I need it or not,” she said.
Smith replied he had just given her the information.e
During a pause, one city councilor told the mayor a motion had been made to keep the municipal court personnel. Mayor Larry Spears quickly took a vote with all “ayes” except Pernell. The mayor said “the motion passes” and Pernell said, “I oppose.”
Before the exchange between Pernell and Smith, District 3 Councilor Terrie Salter pointed out that the council does not replace the city secretary and schools don’t replace teachers every two years.
“We don’t want another judge every two years,” she said.
Smith said he has been an attorney in Orange for 51 years and during that time, the city has had only two municipal judges.
Pernell said she has nothing against Pennington and Campbell. “It’s not about a reason (for new people), it’s about an opportunity.”
At the end of the meeting, which was the last for City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre before he starts a similar job in Woodway, Texas, council members gave their good-byes and thanked him. Pernell apologized “for my outburst.”
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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