Council to Consider State Bar’s Request for Access to Additional City Documents in Case Against Bijal Patel

The State Bar’s case against Tracy’s disgraced former City Attorney, Bijal Patel, continues forward, as the two sides have been unable to reach a settlement agreement.

Patel has admitted to practicing law while her license was suspended; however, she is disputing the State Bar’s allegations that her actions constitute moral turpitude.

It’s such a complex case that the State Bar has requested a second trial day based on the lengthy witness list both sides are calling upon.

As it continues to build its case against Patel, the State Bar is requesting access to a specific Closed Session agenda item from August 7, 2023.

Staff is recommending that the city council waive the Closed Session Privilege and Attorney-Client Privilege specific to any “oral or written advice, findings, or communications before, at, during, or after” the meeting concerning agenda item 5A.

The agenda item was not related to any litigation issue with the city, so the content in question is less important than the actions of the former city attorney.

The entire City Council should support the State Bar’s request, as it has a duty to uphold the law and maintain transparency and trust with the public.

The newly elected mayor and city council members should support this request, given that Council Members Evans and Bedolla supported giving Patel an 8.9% pay raise even after learning of her license suspension.

In other words, the public cannot be sure that Evans and Bedolla will act in the public’s trust, given their unwavering loyalty to the disgraced former city attorney.

This should be a no-brainer decision, but as we know here in the City of Tracy, nothing is predictable other than unpredictability.

We’ll keep you posted about the results of tonight’s hearing, which starts at 7 pm.