April 2, 2025
Pacifica Helps Port Angeles Mayor, Councilmembers End “Frivolous” Recall Attempt and Recoup Attorney’s Fees
The Washington Supreme Court put an end to an attempted recall of Port Angeles elected officials represented by Pacifica Law Group last week by affirming a superior court’s dismissal of the recall petitions. The Supreme Court also upheld the lower court’s decision to award attorney fees to Pacifica’s clients.
A Sequim resident named John Worthington initiated recall proceedings last year against Mayor Kate Dexter, and Councilmembers Navarra Carr, Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, and LaTrisha Suggs, due to the city’s membership in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), a network of more than 2500 local and regional government entities working together on sustainable urban development. Worthington claimed that Port Angeles’ membership in the ICLEI disqualified the mayor and councilmembers from holding office, among other complaints.
In its unanimous decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that Worthington lacked standing under Washington’s constitutional recall provision because he is not a legal voter of Port Angeles. The Court held “that only legal voters in the political subdivision from which a public official was elected may seek recall of that public official.”
The Court also affirmed the trial court’s decision that Mayor Dexter and the councilmembers are entitled to attorney’s fees “because the recall petition was filed in bad faith” and was “intentionally frivolous.” Worthington knew that he lacked standing, the Court noted, but brought the petitions anyway “for the purpose of harassment.”
The Pacifica team representing Port Angeles’ elected officials is led by Matt Segal and includes Noe Merfeld.
