Orange County legal settlements top $128 million in past year

Orange County has paid more than $128 million in legal settlements since last October, with major costs tied to the Airport Fire, sheriff's department cases and lawsuits involving District Attorney Todd Spitzer, according to Voice of OC.

The payouts add pressure to a county budget that has carried a structural deficit since at least 2023, Voice of OC reported. Public records show the county has paid more than $386 million in lawsuit settlements since November 2021.

Voice of OC reported that public records show Orange County paid more than $128 million in settlements since last October, spanning fire claims, law enforcement-related cases, workers' compensation and civil lawsuits.

The largest costs were tied to the Airport Fire, a 23,000-acre wildfire in 2024 that began after a county public works crew accidentally sparked a fire while moving boulders, according to Voice of OC. The county has spent more than $160 million settling claims from people affected by the fire, including more than $77 million this year alone.

"The Airport Fire was a regrettable self-inflicted cost. Ultimately, those responsible were held accountable, and policies were subsequently introduced to correct the issues that contributed to the incident. Nevertheless, the County has a responsibility to fairly compensate individuals who were harmed by the fire," Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said in a Thursday text message cited by Voice of OC.

The OC Sheriff's Department accounted for nearly $19 million in settlements over the past year, Voice of OC reported. That included more than $4.7 million in workers' compensation payouts and more than $700,000 tied to crashes involving sheriff's employees.

County supervisors also approved more than $8.5 million in settlements and attorney-fee payments involving District Attorney Todd Spitzer, according to Voice of OC. Those costs included $2.75 million to settle a lawsuit by DA investigator Jennifer Kearns, more than $1.9 million for attorneys for Tracy Miller after she won a $3 million civil jury award and around $2.8 million combined in three other cases brought by women alleging similar conduct from Spitzer.

"It’s especially frustrating when the Board is asked to approve millions of dollars of public funds for settlement payouts resulting from policies or misconduct over which the Board has limited or no control, including those involving independently elected departments," Sarmiento said, according to Voice of OC.

"I would much rather see taxpayer dollars invested in drastically needed services than spent on preventable mistakes," Sarmiento said, according to Voice of OC.