State Bar Witness List Raises the Stakes for Former Tracy City Attorney
The State Bar of California’s case against former Tracy City Attorney Bijal M. Patel enters an important new phase, which could reveal how much her actions affected City Hall operations. A recently released witness list shows that this is not just a standard disciplinary matter.
Filed after Patel was charged in June for practicing law while her license was suspended, the Bar’s witness list reveals a thorough investigation that could change accountability in Tracy. The list is “lengthy,” requiring two full trial days, indicating the Bar plans to present detailed testimony and documentation, not just technical violations.
Who's on the List
The Bar plans to call 12 witnesses, including current and former city officials. Among them:
- Mayor Dan Arriola and former Mayor Nancy Young, expected to testify about harm to the city caused by Patel’s conduct.
- Former Assistant City Manager Karin Schnaider and City Manager Midori Lichwardt, both listed as percipient witnesses to Patel’s unauthorized legal work.
- Assistant Development Director William Dean, to confirm Patel’s role in project approvals and contracts.
- City IT staff and State Bar investigators, who will verify email and login records showing Patel received suspension notices she later claimed she “missed.”
This lineup shows how Patel’s tenure and her unauthorized practice impacted nearly every level of city management. The City Council’s decision to release more Closed Session materials to the Bar further suggests the investigation will explore what was discussed internally, who was aware of it, and when.
It may also challenge one of Patel’s main defenses: she asserts she was out of the country for most of July and wasn’t practicing law; therefore, there’s no harm or foul regarding her misconduct. However, the State Bar claims that several witnesses apparently met with her about city business during the time she says she was gone. Is Patel being truthful?
The Stakes for Patel
For Patel, the consequences could be career-ending. If testimony confirms she knowingly acted with a suspended license or misled the Council, knowledgeable sources believe she would face an uphill battle to ever being hired by a city in the future.
For Tracy, the embarrassment runs even deeper.
In December 2023, the City Council approved Patel’s 8.9% pay increase, raising her salary to nearly $280,000, despite knowing her license had been suspended. That decision, symbolizing misplaced loyalty and disastrous management practices, should come under intense scrutiny as the Bar investigates the link between City Hall and Patel’s actions.
A Test for Public Trust
The question for residents is no longer whether Patel made a mistake; it’s how the system around her enabled and actually rewarded her conduct now being reviewed by the State Bar. The Bar’s expanding witness list and document requests highlight a broader reckoning for Tracy’s culture of complacency and concealment.
The judgment of city leaders ended at the same time the city attorney’s license expired. What does that say about integrity and accountability in our government? The public deserves answers, and transparency demands them. Some leaders stood up for the public; others hid behind Patel’s skirt.
Transparent Tracy will continue monitoring this case as testimony unfolds and the truth comes to light.