A seal climbs the rocks adjacent the sand at the Children's Pool beach where seals have gathered for years in the La Jolla section of San Diego Monday, July 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
by SDNN Staff/ San Diego News Network / July 23, 2009
A judge Thursday delayed the removal of harbor seals from the Children’s Pool beach in La Jolla.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Yuri Hofmann ruled that the new law, SB 428, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday shifting control of the Children’s Pool back to the city warrants a hearing on the issue Oct. 6.
Hofmann said at a hearing earlier Monday that the time had come for the city to comply with a 2005 order from now-retired Judge William Pate to remove the seals.
During Thursday’s court hearing, a number of seal supporters gathered outside the courthouse to protest against the possibility the judge would uphold his earlier order.
Ginny Uybungco, of the nonprofit educational group La Jolla Friends of the Seals, said her organization is very encouraged about the passage of SB 428.
“We think it’s a turning point in the whole process,” she said. “We’re hoping the legal case will end and sanity will be restored.”
Thanks to our friends at SDNN for keeping up on this issue.
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damn! i was really looking forward to having a trio of barking obceans (gary g, jon c, and ?) down at seal beach.
I guess now we’ll have to cancel our rehersals. My neighbors will be relieved.