A Superior Court judge on Thursday blocked the city of Los Angeles from allowing former Councilman Herb Wesson to return to City Hall, handing a victory to a civil rights group and allies of Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mary H. Strobel issued a temporary restraining order barring Wesson from participating as a council member until March 17, the next hearing on a lawsuit challenging his eligibility for the seat.
Wesson was sworn in Tuesday as a temporary replacement for Ridley-Thomas, who is fighting corruption charges and was suspended by his colleagues in October.
Strobel said the plaintiffs, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, along with a group of voters in Ridley-Thomas’ district, have a sufficient likelihood of prevailing in their argument that Wesson is legally barred from returning on an interim basis, since he has already served three terms — the maximum under the city’s term limit law.
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