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Compton council approves settlements and accepts former city attorney’s resignation
Summary
After a closed session, the City of Compton announced unanimous approval of settlements in two lawsuits involving a former city attorney; city counsel said resolving the cases — at a reported $200,000 settlement — reduced future legal exposure and costs estimated in the hundreds of thousands.
The City of Compton’s City Council met in closed session and unanimously approved settlements to resolve two lawsuits involving the city and its former city attorney. The council reconvened at 5:47 p.m. and the presiding official reported that both matters were settled and that finalized agreements will be released by the city clerk after execution.
City legal counsel summarized the litigation and the rationale for settlement, saying the former city attorney voluntarily resigned on Dec. 8 and that prolonged litigation would have continued to drive legal costs. The attorney told the council that legal costs to date were about $400,000 and estimated continued litigation likely would have added at least another $200,000 in fees. According to the attorney’s account, settlement negotiations began from an initial demand in the millions and concluded with a $200,000 agreement that the city recommended accepting to avoid greater expense and litigation risk.
The attorney also said the settlement agreements include mutual non‑defamation provisions: neither the city nor the former city attorney may make defamatory statements about the other as part of the resolution. The attorney invited questions from council members and attendees; none were taken during the presentation.
The council’s public report described the matters as: Edward J. Perinton v. Compton City Council (Los Angeles County Superior Court case no. 24STCPO2047) and City of Compton v. Eric J. Perinton (case no. 25STCP00911). The council recorded that the vote to approve the settlements was unanimous.
The city said the settlement documents will be made available by the city clerk after final execution, as required by law. The report did not specify exact payment timelines, who will sign the agreements, or whether the settlement will be paid from a specific budget line; those details were described as to be documented in the final agreements.
