This is a livestream update on the matter of Tracy, California City Attorney Bijal M. Patel earlier Thursday, we put out at our new website (the newest one is Zenniereport.com) this news: simply that City of Tracy Attorney Bijal M. Patel lost her job in the Bar Association Scandal.
ZENNIE62MEDIA went to the Bar Association (State Bar of California Association) website for City Attorney Patel of Tracy (the head City Attorney). We found a page that had in a big block that City Attorney Patal was barred from practicing – and then, that news was put out first by ZENNIEREPORT.com. Now, a funny thing happened on the way to the restaurant.
ZENNIE62MEDIA then went back and looked, again, at the State Bar Association page again and what was discovered was pure and simple that someone had updated that page – someone working with the California State Bar Association. Someone who was tipped off to the news that was put out by ZENNIE62MEDIA’s platforms that Bijal M. Patel doesn’t have a license – thus, she cannot practice because that’s what the State Bar page reported.
And so, now the page looks like this:
What the California State Bar Association did was it was proper to do – they updated it to show the latest story.
So, the story that includes the California State Bar Association page with the Bijal M. Patel suspension was changed so that in August 1, 2023, she was in compliance, and in July of this year, she was not.
So, the initial word was that Bijal M. Patel was not a member of the State Bar anymore, and so the news assumption, including with ZENNIE62MEDIA, was that Ms. Patel had stepped down, or should have.
The City Charter Is The Law Of The Land In Tracy
I then recalled my basic civic training: the City Charter is the law of the land for cities. Or, in California Law: There are two types of cities in California: charter cities, which possess “home rule” powers and which may legislate free of interference in matters of municipal affairs; and general-law cities, which are subject to the general laws of the state. But both have city charters.
Or.. State law describes the city’s form of government For example, Government Code section 36501 authorizes general law cities be governed by a city council of five members, a city clerk, a city treasurer, a police chief, a fire chief and any subordinate officers or employees as required by law.
https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Albuquerque4_-_General_Law_City_v_Charter_City.pdf
That’s Tracy, California.
City electors may adopt ordinance which provides for a different number of council members. Cal. Gov’t section 34871. The Government Code also authorizes the “city manager” form of government. Cal. Gov’t Code § 34851.
So, the Tracy City Charter reads as follows with respect to Bijal M. Patel:
Chapter 2.10 – CITY ATTORNEY
The City Attorney shall serve as legal counsel to the City government and all officers, departments, boards, commissions, and agencies thereof and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by state law and by ordinance or resolution of the City Council. In situations where the City Attorney determines there is a conflict in representation by that office, the City Council may authorize the retention or other legal counsel to represent one of the conflicting parties. The City Attorney shall appoint all other members of the City Attorney’s Office.
( Ord. No. 1295 , § 2, 8-18-2020)
- Removal of the City Attorney shall be only by a four-fifths vote of the members of the Council.
( Ord. No. 1295 , § 2, 8-18-2020)
In Other Words, The California Bar Association’s Termination Of A License Will Not Trigger Automatic Termination of Ms. Patel.
That’s the way it stands until the Tracy City Council meets on the matter.
Stay tuned for updates.