By Emersson Drake
Apparently Judge Hurl Johnson set tongues a wagging when he excused Modesto’s current Mayor Jim Ridenour from testifying in the Lydia Lopez vs. Sheriff’s Department sexual harassment case including claims against Bill Pooley.
Judge Johnson used as his reason to dismiss Ridenour, the multiple witnesses who were scheduled to testify regarding “fudging” on their timecards should be sufficient.
Saying yet another on the same subject would keep him there too long.The word from the courthouse to City/County Building has been spreading quickly.
They’re saying Judge Johnson confirmed what former Mayor Carmen Sabatino has been suggesting regarding Ridenour misrepresenting his timecard claiming hours worked for the Sheriff’s Dept. when in fact he was busy doing something else.