You may have noticed an absence of any coverage, comment or commentary from the E-FORUM on this over the last year or so. This is because we City Council members continue to be under a gag order imposed by a federal judge in connection with the still pending and parallel federal lawsuit in this matter.

Even when I simply cut and pasted a newspaper article in an E-FORUM, I received a personal chastisement through our attorney from the federal judge.

The following is the only statement that City Council members are allowed to make at this time:

We appreciate the jury’s time and applaud its unwavering focus on the facts in this case. The City of Richmond is, and always has been, committed to cultivating a diverse workplace and performance-based professional opportunities for our tremendous staff. With this matter behind us, we are able to devote all of our energy to the work that matters most: continuing to decrease crime rates and provide vital services for our residents.