Ruling Awaited on Musick Jail Expansion
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A couple of months into 1998, the city should have an answer from the courts on one of its most controversial issues in years: the proposed James A. Musick Jail expansion.
Possibly as early as this month, a final ruling will come from Orange County Superior Court detailing how to resolve the dispute between the county, Lake Forest and Irvine.
Last year, the two cities challenged a county environmental report on a proposal to expand the minimum-security jail from 1,000 to 7,000 beds. Although in Irvine, the jail is close to Lake Forest neighborhoods.
“There are alternatives to incarceration and other sites available” for a jail in the county, said Lake Forest Mayor Peter Herzog.
One more wrinkle: County Sheriff Brad Gates, who has pushed for the new jail, will step down this year. Officials hope the new sheriff will scuttle the proposal.
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