Lawsuit Filed Over Musick Jail Expansion

Elected officials in the city of Irvine have filed a lawsuit against Orange County, hoping to delay if not halt construction plans at a local jail.

At the crux of the controversy, according to the lawsuit, is the potential negative impact the proposed 512-bed expansion of the James Musick Jail could have to surrounding communities.   Voice of OC (VOOC) has reported that members of the City Council feel strongly that an environmental impact studyjames must be completed prior to moving forward.

Irvine Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway has said that the proposed expansion and how it will impact the character of the neighborhood “needs to be studied in a more thoughtful and thorough way,” he said.

Other concerns include the potential for high-level offenders, who are more likely than low-level offenders to attempt escape; could be arraigned and held temporarily at the Musick Jail.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted in December to seek $100 million in state grant funds to expand the facility.  Proponents of the plan say that additional beds are needed to accommodate increased prisoner populations relating to the state’s prison realignment plan.

VOOC said this marks the third time Irvine has tried to obtain an injunction against the expansion of Musick Jail.  Their first attempt came in 2000, when Irvine and Lake Forest sought to limit the number of inmates housed at the facility.  Both cities lost.  Their second attempt came in 2008, although the lawsuit was dropped shortly after it was filed.

Members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department have not yet commented on the matter.

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