Judge Orders Airport Opponent to Pay Legal Fees for Filing Frivolous Legal Challenges

The News Herald reported that Administrative Law Judge J. Lawrence Johnston has ordered Laguna Beach resident Diane Brown to pay attorney’s fees for The St. Joe Company and Clara Avenue LLC for filing frivolous legal challenges to four county land use amendments.

The judge said that in her challenges, Brown made claims for which she had no evidence. In his ruling, Judge Johnston said Brown’s challenges were insufficient and cost the defendants needless money and time.

Commenting on the case, Bay County Attorney Terrell Arline said: “Before people challenge, they need to know their facts are right. They can’t just throw stuff out there.”

Unfortunately, Brown – and many other airport relocation opponents – do “just throw stuff out there.” Bay County officials have said that Brown has cost the county more than $120,000 in legal fees since 2004. Too often, her challenges have no legal merit.

It’s good to see that a judge has finally held an opponent accountable to the facts. Maybe this ruling will stand as a cautionary sign to others.

Certainly we should all support fact-based challenges to county land use decisions – but there is no place for accusations without the facts to support them. Conspiracy theories should not have the force of law.