California: Former Santa Clara Judge ordered to pay opponents attorneys' fees in recall fight

Judge Aaron Persky, who was kicked out in the June recall, was ordered to pay $161,825 in attorneys's fees over his lawsuit over who should handle the recall effort (Persky argued that the Secretary of State rather than the local county Registrar of Voters was responsible to handle the recall, and that his replacement should be appointed rather than elected. He lost both arguments). The fee payment is part of a statute calling for reimbursement if the case enforces 'an important right affecting the public interest.'"