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Ann Higginbotham, attorney for pro-Measure A "real parties in interest"

Fred Woocher, partner, Strumwasser and Woocher, attorney for Pasadena First

the story thus far

In June, 2005, the Pasadena City Council "effectively pulled the city out of the running [for an NFL franchise], when it failed to act to continue negotiations with the league."

Pasadena City Councilmember Chris Holden, who favored continuing negotiations with the National Football League, responded by launching a successful initiative campaign to qualify a ballot measure that would have re-instated the City of Pasadena as an active bidder for an NFL team in Southern California.

That initiative, Measure A, is currently slated to appear on a consolidated Los Angeles County ballot on November 7, 2006. The question that Measure A puts to Pasadena voters is: "Shall the ordinance providing for the National Football League renovation of the Rose Bowl Stadium for professional football use and for lease of the Rose Bowl Stadium to the National Football League be adopted?  (YES/NO)"

another party heard from

The Pasadena First Political Action Committee "is a coalition of community groups and residents from neighborhoods throughout Pasadena who are concerned with the attempted giveaway of our National Historic Landmark Rose Bowl and Pasadena’s largest park, the Arroyo Seco, to a profit making enterprise of billionaire NFL team owners. The proposed ballot initiative in reality is a thick contract with plenty of fine print that benefits the NFL at the expense of the citizens of Pasadena. PASADENA FIRST p.a.c. has been primarily formed to oppose this foolish and ill-advised initiative."

a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court in the Pasadena Courthouse to consider the Pasadena First lawsuit against Measure A

Ann Higginbotham, a Pasadena-based attorney specializing in land use, municipal law, and public finance, arguing for the "real parties in interest" in defense of allowing Pasadena voters to consider Measure A in the November 7th election, and Fred Woocher, representing Pasadena First and arguing to take it off the ballot, appeared this morning in the Los Angeles County Superior Court's "Section R" in the Pasadena Courthouse before judge C. Edward Simpson and presented their respective cases to the presiding judge, who took the case under advisement and, at 1:30 pm this afternoon issued a three-page ruling in which he said he would not decide on the constitutionality of Measure A before the election and would allow it to remain on the November ballot.

listen to two attorneys arguing and commenting

You can watch and listen to Ms. Higginbotham repeating some of the arguments she had just made in court this morning, and you can watch and listen to Mr. Woocher commenting on Judge Simpson's decision in the case this afternoon, in the NFL in Pasadena? Channel Brightcove Player below.

detailed arguments on both sides of this issue from the people involved on The NFL in Pasadena? Channel

Thanks to powerful new technology from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Brightcove Inc., you can also watch and listen to Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and Pasadena Heritage Executive Director Sue Mossman, who oppose Measure A, and Pasadena Councilmember Chris Holden, who is responsible for putting it on the ballot, discussing his or her position on this issue, in one-on-one video interviews conducted in late June, 2006, in Pasadena, California.

Not only that, but, if you want to, you can syndicate the Brightcove Player containing The NFL in Pasadena? Channel featuring these recorded video interviews on your own web site, at no cost to you for either the hosting or streaming of this exclusive content.

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