Coweta County Superior Court Judge Dennis Blackmon ruled Thursday that Senoia resident and mayoral candidate Don Rehman will have to pay more than $7,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation costs incurred by the city in a failed lawsuit brought by Rehman earlier this year.
Rehman in May lost a lawsuit against the Senoia City Council over his interpretation of a city ordinance dealing with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Rehman and the city were back in court Thursday, with city attorney Drew Whalen asking that Rehman be responsible for the city’s attorney’s fees and court costs in the proceeding that Blackmon in May characterized as, “…the most ridiculous thing I have ever had in court, ever.”
Blackmon on Thursday ordered Rehman to pay $7,035.59 in attorney’s fees and litigation costs.
“The court finds (Rehman’s) bringing of this action was not a good faith attempt to establish a new theory of law and that it was not based on some recognized precedential or persuasive authority. The court concludes (Rehman’s) action totally lacked substantial justification in law or fact, was frivolous and a complete waste of the limited judicial resources of this court,” Blackmon said.
From his perspective, Rehman believed Whalen wanted him to make payment directly to the city, but he issued the funds to the court per Judge Blackmon’s order within three hours of the ruling, Rehman said Friday. The court will hold the funds until the appeal hearing next month before the Ga. Supreme Court.
Rehman said his money will be returned if his hearing before the Supreme Court is successful.
