Orange County Supervisors have approved over $128 million in legal settlements since last October. This total includes numerous cases, with significant payouts related to the 2024 Airport Fire and various claims involving county departments. The decision to settle these cases comes amidst ongoing county budget challenges.
The largest portion of this year's and last year's settlement costs stems from the Airport Fire, a 23,000-acre wildfire in 2024. This fire was initiated when a county public works crew accidentally sparked it while moving boulders. Public records indicate the county has spent over $160 million on settlements for individuals affected by this blaze, with more than $77 million disbursed in the past year alone. Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento acknowledged the fire as "a regrettable self-inflicted cost," noting that those responsible were held accountable and policies were introduced to address contributing issues. He affirmed the county's responsibility "to fairly compensate individuals who were harmed by the fire."
Beyond the Airport Fire, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department accounts for nearly $19 million in settlements across a series of cases, making it the most expensive department in terms of legal payouts after the fire. These settlements include over $4.7 million in worker’s compensation payouts. Additionally, more than $700,000 was paid out due to sheriff's employees crashing into other vehicles.
Among these, the parents of a man who died by suicide at the county jail, by choking on an orange peel, received a $3 million settlement earlier this month from Orange County Supervisors.
County supervisors also allocated over $8.5 million over the past year to settle cases and cover attorney fees involving District Attorney Todd Spitzer. This includes a $2.75 million settlement for District Attorney investigator Jennifer Kearns. Kearns' lawsuit alleged that Spitzer intentionally jeopardized the prosecution of a Newport Beach doctor accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting women.
Additionally, supervisors agreed to pay more than $1.9 million to the attorneys of Tracy Miller, a former senior prosecutor. Miller had claimed Spitzer harassed her after she assisted other women in reporting sexual harassment by one of his appointees. A jury previously awarded Miller $3 million after she prevailed in her civil court case. County records also show that supervisors settled three other cases brought by women who alleged similar conduct from Spitzer in their initial filings. Collectively, these three cases settled for approximately $2.8 million over the past year.
These significant payouts coincide with the county leadership's ongoing struggle to balance its annual budget, which has faced a structural deficit since at least 2023. In addition to the nearly $19 million in lawsuit settlements, the Sheriff's Department reported overshooting its budget by approximately $29 million last year. County officials attribute this overage to a budgeting program that, they claim, intentionally underfunds the department annually.
Despite these substantial settlements and other expenditures, county supervisors have not initiated moves to defund or reallocate funds from departments such as the Sheriff's Department or the District Attorney’s office. Supervisor Sarmiento expressed frustration when the Board is asked to approve significant public funds for payouts resulting from policies or misconduct over which it has limited or no control, particularly those involving independently elected departments. He added that he would "much rather see taxpayer dollars invested" in needed services than spent on preventable mistakes. No other supervisors responded to questions on the issue.
